Tester has distanced himself from the national Democrats

Before Trump’s recent visit, Tester tried to hedge against accusations that he was part of the Democratic establishment by naming Republicans who support him, including former Montana Governor Marc Racicot. His campaign highlighted more than 20 bills, many on veterans issues, that Tester had introduced and Trump had signed.

Tester was also the only Democratic delegate from Montana who did not cast a vote for Harris as the party’s presidential nominee after Biden withdrew. And when the Democratic National Convention is held in Chicago later this month, Tester will be back in Montana “to farm and meet the people of Montana in person,” said campaign spokesman Harry Child.

The last time Tester attended the Democratic National Convention was in 2008. That was also the last time a Democratic presidential candidate came close to winning in Montana. President Barack Obama lost the election by just over two percentage points.

On Friday, in an interview while waiting for the Trump rally to begin, Sheehy dismissed the notion that Tester could survive Montana’s shift to the right. “Jon Tester is more than 95% aligned with the Biden-Harris agenda,” Sheehy said. “So I don’t think his attempt to portray himself as a moderate is going to work.”

A similar situation is developing in Ohio, where three-term Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown faces a tough election campaign. Voters in the state are expected to vote for Trump.