BILLINGS, Mont. (KeynoteUSA) — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy on Sunday embraced his status as an outsider who came to Montana to start a business while trying to allay concerns about rising property taxes by newcomers. rich arrivals, during the first debate of a contest that could tip the balance. the balance of power in the Senate.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the ballot, and Sunday’s debate was the first time the two candidates faced off publicly. Republicans need to gain just a couple of seats in the November elections to regain the majority in the Senate.
Tester declared Sheehy “part of the problem” amid a housing shortage and rising taxes for many Montana residents after home values rose in many areas.
“We’ve had a lot of people moving to this state, a lot of people with thick wallets, a lot of people driving up the cost of housing,” Tester said. “Tim Sheehy is not part of the solution; “He is part of the problem.”
Sheehy blamed Democrats for the increasing economic pressures many households face. The 37-year-old political newcomer and former Navy SEAL said Tester and President Joe Biden were not doing enough to control inflation.
He also said he was happy to move to Montana in 2014 to start a family and start an aerial firefighting business near Bozeman.
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“If you’re not from here, Jon Tester apparently doesn’t think your voice matters,” Sheehy said. “Creating jobs in this state was an honor for me.”
The exchange reflected the central role that fiscal and economic issues could play as Republicans try to unseat Tester, 67, a farmer and former state lawmaker from the small town of Big Sandy. He is seeking a fourth term in the Senate.
Many economic indicators remain positive in Montana and across the United States, including increasing jobs and low unemployment. But rising property taxes along with the rising costs of some goods and services are fueling political tensions with the potential to influence the outcome of the election.
Tester is considered a moderate in Washington, a status that has helped him in the past attract support from independent voters who make up a sizable portion of the Montana electorate. However, Republicans have been on a roll during recent election cycles and now control every state office in Montana except Tester’s.
Sheehy has repeatedly tried to group Tester with President Joe Biden amid widespread public dissatisfaction over the administration’s struggles to curb illegal immigration at the southern border. Biden last week announced tighter restrictions on asylum seekers entering the US.
“They’re trying to trick us into saying, ‘Let’s figure it out,’” Sheehy said. He mocked as “political theater” a Democratic immigration bill that was blocked by Republican lawmakers.
“It’s time to close it,” he added of the border.
Tester acknowledged that more needs to be done on immigration and said Biden’s move on asylum should have been done sooner. He also emphasized his success in passing legislation to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits to work and spur American production of computer chips.
“I work across the hall to get things done,” he said.
The candidates also clashed over abortion. Sheehy said she was against the medical procedure with exceptions to save the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest.
Tester responded that it should be up to the women and their families “in consultation with their minister and their doctor.”
A proposed initiative that would add abortion rights to the state Constitution could further elevate the abortion issue in Montana if supporters gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot. The proposal comes after the United States Supreme Court in 2022 eliminated abortion protections nationwide.
Sheehy has invested more than $2 million of his own money in the campaign and received nearly $11 million in donations. With a household net worth between $72.9 million and $255.9 million, she has the ability to leverage much more.
Tester has reported raising $37 million. Outside groups have invested tens of millions of dollars more on both sides.
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