Sen. Jon Tester wasted no time painting his Republican opponent, Tim Sheehy, as a threat to public lands and the Montana way of life during the“The bottom line is Montana is changing. We’re seeing a lot of folks come into the state — rich folks — who want to try to buy our state, to try to change it into something it’s not,” Tester said. “Unfortunately, many of these folks are coming in, they’re buying big ranches.
Tester said tourism is vital to the Montana economy but stressed the state is under increased pressure from rich transplants working to shape it in ways Montanans don’t approve of. Sheehy secured the Republican nomination to take on Tester last week. It is one of the most contested races in 2024.Along with previously marketing his ranch as an exclusive destination for deep-pocketed hunters, Sheehy recently embraced a toxic position on public lands.last year, the multi-millionaire businessman advocated for federal lands to be “turned over” to states — a position that voters in Western states, including Montana, overwhelmingly oppose.in October.
Tester did not specifically highlight Sheehy’s previous comments in favor of transferring public lands during Sunday’s debate. But in a post on X, formerly Twitter, shared during the event, Tester painted his opponent as a threat to the federal estate.On Sunday, Sheehy sought to convince Montana voters that he’s been a longtime champion of public lands and that it is environmentalists who threaten their future.