BILLINGS, Mont. — Republican candidate for US Senate Tim Sheehy embraced his status as an outsider who came to Montana to start a business while trying Sunday to allay concerns about wealthy newcomers raising property taxes during the first debate in a contest This could tip the balance of power in the Senate.
Democratic current senator Jon Tester is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats at the polls and Sunday’s debate was the first time the two candidates have publicly clashed. Republicans need to win just a few seats in the November elections to regain their 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.
“A lot of people have moved to this state, a lot of people with thick wallets, a lot of people who drive up the cost of housing,” Tester said. “Tim Sheehy is not part of the solution; of the problem.”
Sheehy blamed Democrats for the growing economic pressures facing many families. The 37-year-old political newcomer and former Navy SEAL said Tester and President Joe Biden were not doing enough to curb inflation.
He also said he was happy to move to Montana in 2014 to raise a family and start an aerial firefighting business near Bozeman.
“If you’re not from here, Jon Tester doesn’t think your voice matters, apparently,” Sheehy said. “Creating jobs in this state has been 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 U.S., including job growth and low unemployment. But rising property taxes, along with 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 the rise during recent election cycles and now control every statewide office in Montana except Tester’s.
Sheehy has repeatedly tried to put Tester on the same level as President Joe Biden amid widespread public dissatisfaction with the administration’s struggles to curb illegal immigration at the southern border. Biden announced last week tighter restrictions on asylum seekers entering the USA
“They’re trying to trick us by saying, ‘We’re going to work this out,’” Sheehy said. He derided as “political theater” a Democratic immigration bill that was blocked by Republican lawmakers.
“It’s time for closure,” he added of the border.
Tester acknowledged that more needs to be done on immigration and said Biden’s decision on asylum should have been made sooner. He also emphasized his success in passing legislation to help veterans exposed to toxic wildfires get to work and to encourage Computer chip production in the USA.
“I work across the hall to get things done,” he said.
The candidates also clashed over abortion. Sheehy said he is 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 women and their families “in consultation with their minister and their doctor.”
A proposed initiative that would add the right to abortion to the state Constitution could further elevate the issue of abortion in Montana if supporters gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot. The proposal comes after the US Supreme Court in 2022 removed abortion protections at the national level.
Sheehy invested more than $2 million of his own money in the campaign and received nearly $11 million in donations. With a family net worth of between $72.9 million and $255.9 million, he has the ability to enjoy so much more.
Tester reported raising $37 million. Outside groups invested tens of millions of dollars more on both sides.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
