Few votes counted in Montana's closely watched Senate race
Montana and Washington, D.C., were still awaiting final results in the state's closely watched U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and political newcomer Republican Tim Sheehy at 10 p.m. on election night.
Montana counties have started to report initial vote counts and Sheehy leads Tester by roughly 17 points with only 14% of the votes reported, according to the Associated Press.
At 10 p.m., none of the major population centers in Montana — like Gallatin, Missoula, Cascade and Yellowstone counties — had reported a single vote yet.
This Senate seat has not been called on election night in the last three races, so definitive results coming Tuesday night are unlikely. In 2012, for example, the AP did not call the race until 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday.
This Senate contest is often so tight that neither candidate eclipses 50% of the vote. Last cycle, in 2018, was the first time Tester secured a majority.
A large part of the reason the results are slowly coming in is because of a provision in Montana law that states everyone in line must have voted in a county before any results can be released. If someone is still in line after 8 p.m., they are eligible to vote. After 8 p.m. in Gallatin County, a key voting bloc, there were still long lines to vote. Once initial results are released, elections administrators will provide updated results "at least once every three hours until completion."
Montana's Senate contest was not only one of the most anticipated races in the state, but in the nation. This Senate race was projected to be the deciding seat to tip the partisan control of the Senate, but the Democratic incumbent lost in Ohio and Republicans took control of the chamber before Montana's race could be called.
"There's a lot of people standing in line all over the state of Montana, still waiting to vote," Tester told his supporters in Great Falls. "My message to them is continue to stand in line because, quite frankly, your vote matters and you need to vote because our right to vote is fundamental to our democracy."
The Sheehy campaign is sharing the election night party with the Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte campaign. Gianforte's race was called minutes after polls closed in Montana.
"Folks, tonight is the night that we fire Kamala Harris," Gianforte said to loud applause. "Tonight's the night that you send Donald Trump back to the White House. Tonight is the night you send Jon Tester back home and send Tim Sheehy to the Senate."
Tester is a three-term incumbent in a state that has seen an increasing number of people vote for Republicans without throwing a vote to a Democrat on the same ticket. Sheehy has never run for elected office and was recruited to challenge Tester by his Senate colleague, Republican Steve Daines. Sheehy founded an aerial firefighting and surveillance company in Belgrade and is a retired Navy SEAL. His company, Bridger Aerospace, has made him millions and if he wins, will cement his status as one of the wealthiest members of congress.
Sheehy staked his campaign on his veteran status and bringing "common sense" back to legislating, which to Sheehy means "a secure board, safe streets, cheap gas, cops are good, criminals are bad, boys are boys and girls are girls," he said throughout the campaign. The Tester campaign focused on a message of returning Montana to a more livable state not suffering from the whims of the wealthy who have moved here in recent years. Tester identified Sheehy among that class, and repeatedly attacked his opponent as a "wealthy out-of-stater" who was remaking Montana for his cronies.
For the last few months, the airwaves have been dominated by millions of dollars worth of negative advertising about the two candidates. The Democrats outraised and outspent the Republicans by roughly $50 million, according to previous counts.
Hundreds of millions of dollars were poured into this race, breaking previous Montana records and making it one of the most expensive Senate races in the nation on a per voter basis.
At the Sheehy campaign's watch party at a swanky downtown Bozeman hotel, FOX News was being played on multiple screens and coming through the loudspeakers. The preliminary results in Montana's Senate contest would pop up on the screen often, showing Sheehy leading Tester, prompting the crowd to cheer.
The event space is filled with hundreds of people dressed in their election night best with drinks in hand. Festivities are projected to last past midnight. Sheehy has not yet addressed the crowd in Bozeman, but was shaking hands with attendees as votes were slowly counted.
Victoria Eavis is a reporter for the Montana State News Bureau.
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