{"id":556562,"date":"2023-02-25T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-25T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/tester-hands-democrats-2024-boost-with-tough-road-ahead\/"},"modified":"2023-02-25T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T16:00:00","slug":"tester-hands-democrats-2024-boost-with-tough-road-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tester-hands-democrats-2024-boost-with-tough-road-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"#Tester hands Democrats 2024 boost with tough road ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a36ebf4240bd\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a36ebf4240bd\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tester-hands-democrats-2024-boost-with-tough-road-ahead\/#Tester_hands_Democrats_2024_boost_with_tough_road_ahead\" >Tester hands Democrats 2024 boost with tough road ahead<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tester_hands_Democrats_2024_boost_with_tough_road_ahead\"><\/span>Tester hands Democrats 2024 boost with tough road ahead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<p>Democrats got a shot in the arm this week with Sen. Jon Tester\u2019s (D-Mont.) decision to seek reelection.<\/p>\n<p>His announcement hands Democrats a real chance at retaining a seat in GOP territory and puts them on Joe Manchin-watch as the West Virginia Democratic senator weighs his own future in a ruby-red state.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Tester, who announced his decision on Wednesday, is the first major domino to fall for Democrats, who are nervous about maintaining their one-seat majority.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d said Rodell Mollineau, who served as a top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). \u201cIt means it gives us our best opportunity to hold onto the U.S. Senate. \u2026 It\u2019s about holding onto seats that might otherwise turn red with no future forecast of how they\u2019d turn blue again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democrats still face an ominous road ahead this cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They control 23 of the seats up for grabs in 2024, compared to 10 for Republicans who still have a number of paths open to nab the two seats \u2014\u00a0or just one if they win the White House \u2014\u00a0needed to take back the majority. And there are fights brewing across the map.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) addresses reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 to discuss climate change provisions in the Build Back Better Act.\" class=\"wp-image-1748464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg 980w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=160,90 160w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=645,363 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=256,144 256w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=512,288 512w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=640,360 640w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=876,492 876w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=960,540 960w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/testerjon_120121gn_lead.jpg?resize=50,28 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Tester\u2019s reelection bid will give Democrats a solid chance at retaining a seat in GOP territory. (Greg Nash)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Question marks surround Arizona\u2019s contest after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema became an Independent.\u00a0Sen. Debbie Stabenow\u2019s (D) retirement in Michigan is set to spark a rough and tumble battle on both sides of the aisle to replace her.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Sen. Sherrod Brown \u2014 Ohio\u2019s lone statewide elected Democrat \u2014 said he would run for reelection, but the state has increasingly trended red over the past several years. And Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) is recovering from prostate cancer surgery and has yet to make his 2024 plans official, though he is expected to run once again in one of the preeminent swing states in a presidential cycle.<\/p>\n<p>But Montana and West Virginia, two solidly red states with Democratic senators, were thought by many to be the easiest pickup opportunities for Republicans \u2014\u00a0depending on Tester and Manchin\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n<p>Pressed by a local West Virginia radio host on Wednesday whether he\u2019ll seek a third full term, the West Virginia centrist maintained that he wasn\u2019t sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Manchin said, emphasizing each word.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tester\u2019s decision heaps pressure on Republicans, who struggled mightily on the candidate quality front in 2022 and are looking to reverse their fortunes this cycle in Montana.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) are considered the main contenders to take on Tester next year, but worries persist about both. Zinke has\u00a0ethics troubles\u00a0from his time as Interior secretary, while Rosendale lost to Tester in 2018, in addition to losing to Zinke in a 2014 House primary.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Even Republicans acknowledge it could take a formidable opponent to unseat Tester.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTester is better at this than most. He knows how to speak in Montana in a way that covers up his voting record. A generic Republican gets beat by Jon Tester despite the fact that whoever is on the top of the ticket on the presidential side wins comfortably,\u201d one GOP operative told The Hill. \u201cWe screwed this up five years ago. You can\u2019t let an opportunity like this go to waste while in the minority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of the two, Republicans worry more about the possibility of Rosendale emerging from a primary and a repeat of the 2018 contest when Tester defeated him by more than three percentage points two years after former President Trump carried the state by more than 20 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cJon Tester beats Matt Rosendale. We saw this in 2018. We can\u2019t just have a guy with an R next to his name,\u201d the GOP operative continued, bringing up the\u00a0often-used line\u00a0about Rosendale\u2019s accent. \u201cHe\u2019s from Maryland, and he sounds like it. They should have put that guy into speech therapy and beat the hell out of [his accent].\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?w=900\" alt=\"Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) speaks to reporters regarding the bipartisan infrastructure negotiations as he arrives to the Capitol for a vote on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.\" class=\"wp-image-1736974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg 980w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=160,90 160w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=645,363 645w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=256,144 256w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=512,288 512w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=640,360 640w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=876,492 876w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=960,540 960w, https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/testerjon_072121gn_lead.jpg?resize=50,28 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Even Republicans admit that ousting Tester will not be easy to achieve. (Greg Nash)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Zinke, according to one source, is in \u201cno rush\u201d to make a decision, and he likely has more than a year to do so. Multiple sources also indicated Montana Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Austin Knudsen (R) is looking into a potential campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>However, Republicans this time around believe they have an ace up their sleeve in Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) this cycle and has\u00a0made it a priority\u00a0to defeat his Big Sky state colleague.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone should underestimate [Tester], but I believe his luck is going to run out this cycle because there\u2019s no one who knows his playbook better than the Daines team,\u201d said Brian Walsh, who served as the NRSC\u2019s communications director in 2012 when Tester won his first reelection bid. \u201cHe\u2019s been very fortunate the last three times to face a candidate who was ultimately not the best candidate Republicans could put forward. If Republicans put up a decent candidate, they should win the race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tester, however, has some positive winds blowing in his direction. According to a Morning Consult survey taken in January,\u00a060 percent of Montanan respondents <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>rove\u00a0of Tester\u2019s work. In addition, a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fmattholt33%2Fstatus%2F1625133569038290944&amp;data=05%7C01%7CRZilbermints%40TheHill.com%7C6a64baa89a494c0a43c908db15e17255%7C9e5488e2e83844f6886cc7608242767e%7C0%7C0%7C638127830251488132%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=gmqpjnlgBPHR6SgKNsjOpGgSPdl9G9ByIlgZVGh%2Fd5o%3D&amp;reserved=0\">recent poll\u00a0conducted by a GOP firm<\/a> shows him leading both Zinke and Rosendale, and holding a 1-point advantage over Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R), who has yet to announce whether he will seek reelection in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Operatives in the state and nation are convinced that absent Tester, no other Democrat in the state could put up much of a fight, let alone win this race.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould someone meet that moment? Absolutely not,\u201d one Montana Democratic operative told The Hill. \u201cUnless there\u2019s someone hidden under a rock no ones seen so far, no.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/3873227-tester-hands-democrats-2024-boost-with-tough-road-ahead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tester hands Democrats 2024 boost with tough road ahead Democrats got a shot in the arm this week with Sen. Jon Tester\u2019s (D-Mont.) decision to seek reelection. His announcement hands Democrats a real chance at retaining a seat in GOP territory and puts them on Joe Manchin-watch as the West Virginia Democratic senator weighs his&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":556563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/testerjon_021523gn3_w.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[138240,138053,134814,80445,90482,124783,89017,134614,40445,134354,140522,140523,70289],"class_list":["post-556562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bob-casey","tag-debbie-stabenow","tag-harry-reid","tag-healthcare","tag-house","tag-international","tag-joe-manchin","tag-judiciary","tag-media","tag-nexstar-media-wire-news","tag-rodell-mollineau","tag-ryan-zinke","tag-senate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}