| Republican Tim Sheehy ousted Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who finally succumbed to political gravity in a state that has not voted Democratic for president in more than 30 years. Tester, first elected in 2006, was a special target for fellow Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who chaired the Senate GOP campaign arm this cycle. After two GOP congressmen failed to dethrone Tester in 2012 and 2018, Republicans recruited a political neophyte. Sheehy, a wealthy Navy SEAL-turned-aerospace CEO, was handpicked by Daines, who also worked behind the scenes to stop the failed 2018 nominee, Rep. Matt Rosendale, from making another go. Both parties poured tens of millions into the race. Tester ran heavily on his support of abortion rights and tried to cast Sheehy as a Minnesota-born carpetbagger. Sheehy eschewed the press, drew criticism for making derogatory remarks in private about Native Americans and for giving conflicting stories about how he got a bullet wound in his arm. In the end it didn't matter. Donald Trump's strength in Montana helped propel him over Tester. Read the latest
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