Daily Montanan

Tester touts years of bipartisan work while Sheehy says new blood needed in goverment

The first debate between Democratic U.S. Sen Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy on Sunday showed the two candidates sticking to the central themes of their campaigns – Tester as a Big Sandy farmer who works across the aisle to get things done for Montana, and Sheehy as a political newcomer and former U.S. Navy SEAL who says Tester and the old guard in Washington, D.C., have failed and new leadership is needed.

While those themes have been pushed heavily by both campaigns for nearly a year, the debate at Fairmont Hot Springs, hosted by the Montana Broadcasters Association, provided Montanans their first chance to see how the two who will be at the top of the Senate ticket in November differ when it comes to policy and not just personality.

Both men agreed on some facets of running the government and policies that would benefit Montana. But Tester showed the work he has done on both a bipartisan and partisan basis to pass legislation he said supports Montanans. Sheehy underscored his military background and entrepreneurship to say why he, with no prior political experience, should be one of 100 Americans deciding how to address issues like abortion, immigration, housing affordability, health care, military spending and foreign aid.