Sen. Jon Tester Backhandedly Accused His Opponent Of Turning Montana Into A Millionaire’s Playground
HuffPost
The high-stakes race in Montana is getting heated as Tester and Tim Sheehy focus on a key issue impacting the state.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) wasted no time painting his Republican opponent, Tim Sheehy, as a threat to public lands and the Montana way of life during the first debate of what is widely seen as one of the most contested races in 2024.
The three-term incumbent said “Montana’s values are on the line” in November.
“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. They’re locking people off of not only that ranch, but the public lands around it. And that’s not what Montana is about.”
It was one of many subtle jabs Tester took at Sheehy during the event on Sunday, which came just days after both candidates cruised to victory in their respective primaries.
“Folks are coming in here and buying two, three houses, making this into their personal playground. That’s not right,” Tester said, adding that when it comes to Montana’s housing crisis, Sheehy is part of the problem.