Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy won the Montana Senate GOP primary Tuesday and will go on to face Sen. Jon Tester (D‑MT) in the hotly contested general election that could determine party control of the chamber.
The Associated Press called the race for Sheehy at 8:37 p.m. Mountain time, 37 minutes after the polls closed. With about 27% of the ballots counted, Sheehy led with nearly 76% of the vote.
Sheehy, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, beat former Montana Public Service Commissioner Brad Johnson and past congressional candidate Charles Walking Child. Rep. Matt Rosendale’s (R‑MT) exit from the race in February after just six days cleared the way for Sheehy.
FILE – Senate candidate Tim Sheehy talks about his campaign, Feb. 9, 2024, in Helena, Montana. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
Republicans see their path to a Senate majority through the Trump-dominated red state and unseating Tester, who’s staking his bid for a fourth consecutive term on convincing v …