Montana's GOP Candidate Tim Sheehy Receives an Edge from Top Handicapper in Race Against Democrat Jon Tester

The Cook Political Report has changed its classification of Senator Jon Tester's seat from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

Montana's GOP Candidate Tim Sheehy Receives an Edge from Top Handicapper in Race Against Democrat Jon Tester
Montana's GOP Candidate Tim Sheehy Receives an Edge from Top Handicapper in Race Against Democrat Jon Tester

A top political handicapper shifted the Senate race in Montana toward Republicans on Thursday as the weeks wind down to the November election.

The Cook Political Report has changed the seat held by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

A political handicapper recently predicted that Republicans would win the Senate seat, following a similar prediction made by another handicapper just days before.

Tim Sheehy, Jon Tester
Sheehy is now favored to win the Montana Senate race against incumbent Tester.  (Reuters)

The handicappers predict that Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, will defeat incumbent Tester in the upcoming race.

In 2006, Tester was first elected and his last re-election bid in the state was won twice by former President Trump, which did not align with a presidential election.

Tester has not issued a formal endorsement of Harris.
Tester has not issued a formal endorsement of Harris. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The incumbent Democrat will be on the ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris and will compete against the Republican ticket headed by Trump.

A recent AARP poll revealed that Sheehy has a clear lead over Tester in the latest race rating changes. In a two-person race, Sheehy defeated Tester 51%-45%, while in a multi-candidate field, Sheehy received 49% compared to Tester's 41%.

Sheehy is endorsed by Trump.
Sheehy is endorsed by Trump. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)

Republicans are expected to gain the majority in the next Congress by winning the seat vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin in Montana, which is already predicted to be easily won by Republicans. Additionally, pickups in both Montana and West Virginia will ensure a Republican majority in the upper chamber without any losses.

Trump and Harris on Philadelphia debate stage
Harris has taken an overall lead in the Planet Chronicle Power Rankings. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As Trump's edge in some critical states is fading, the shift in favor of Republicans in Senate races is also happening, with North Carolina and Georgia now considered toss-ups in the presidential race, according to the most recent Planet Chronicle Power Rankings.

For the first time, Harris has surpassed Biden as the leader in the Planet Chronicle Power Rankings presidential race forecast.

by Julia Johnson

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