The new member: Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.)
How they got here: Sheehy won an incredibly expensive contest to oust three-term Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester by a 52.6 percent to 45.5 percent margin.
Inside the campaign: Spending the contest hit record-levels in the state, with an estimated $487 being doled out for each of the state’s 648,000 active registered voters.
As Democrats hoped to hold onto the seat despite the state’s red tinge at the federal level, Sheehy faced scrutiny over how he sustained a gunshot wound in his arm — either during a visit to a national park or while serving in Afghanistan.
Montana voters were bombarded with advertising and mailers throughout the contest, which Sheehy ultimately prevailed in. President-elect Donald Trump carried the state by nearly 20 percentage points.
The issues he’ll focus on: Throughout the course of the campaign, Sheehy said repeatedly his top three issues would be immigration, education and securing the U.S. southern border. He’s voiced support for eliminating the Department of Education, while also saying "public lands belong in public hands.”
Background: Sheehy was a political newcomer before his Senate victory. He served in the Navy SEALs and founded an aerial firefighting and wildfire management company back in 2014. He survived a 2019 fatal airplane crash in which he was a student pilot.
National Republicans, including then-NRSC Chair Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), quickly backed Sheehy as their best shot to oust Tester, a well-liked previous political survivor, in a presidential year.
Campaign ad that caught our eye: One of Sheehy’s spots features a number of Montana ranchers, including one who memorably says, “I know bullshit when I see it.”
Fun fact: Sheehy received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart from Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) — a fellow Navy Seal — back in 2015.
We’re spotlighting new members during the transition. Want more? Meet Rep. Cleo Fields.
