{"id":2342752,"date":"2024-09-18T09:57:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T13:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/testers-road-to-reelection-gets-harder-with-montana-supreme-court-decision-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T09:58:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T13:58:16","slug":"testers-road-to-reelection-gets-harder-with-montana-supreme-court-decision-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/testers-road-to-reelection-gets-harder-with-montana-supreme-court-decision-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Tester\u2019s road to reelection gets harder with Montana Supreme Court decision &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftesters-road-to-reelection-gets-harder-with-montana-supreme-court-decision-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2342752&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Montana Supreme Court has upheld a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-supreme-court-backs-teacher-ousted-for-rejecting-trans-policies\/\" title=\"Virginia Supreme Court Backs Teacher Ousted for Rejecting Trans Policies\">lower court&#8217;<\/a>s decision to allow Green Party Senate candidate Robert Barb to remain on the \u2062ballot for \u2063the upcoming Senate election,\u200b which is a crucial \u200crace \u2064between incumbent \u200bDemocrat \u2062Jon Tester \u2062and\u200c Republican challenger Tim Sheehy. The Montana Democratic Party sought to disqualify Barb, arguing that\u200c he \u200bwas\u200c ineligible to\u200b participate as he was appointed to replace a different Green Party candidate who withdrew, rather\u200c than being\u2062 nominated through the\u200d party&#8217;s primary process. However, both courts rejected this claim, asserting that the Democratic Party had \u200bnot demonstrated any legal\u200b error in the previous ruling. The court\u2019s decision is \u200dsignificant as Tester, who is\u2062 considered a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dccc-chair-dings-vulnerable-house-dem-defends-biden-after-virginia-loss\/\" title=\"DCCC Chair Dings Vulnerable House Dem, Defends Biden After Virginia Loss\">vulnerable incumbent<\/a>, faces a tightly contested\u2062 election that could impact\u200c control of the Senate.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Tester&rsquo;s road to reelection gets harder with Montana Supreme Court decision<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1762931\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/montana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Montana\">Montana<\/a> Supreme Court denied an effort by the state&rsquo;s Democratic Party to remove Green Party Senate candidate Robert Barb from the ballot in the critical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Senate\">Senate<\/a> election in November.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The marquee race between Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jon-tester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jon Tester\">Jon Tester<\/a> (D-MT) and Republican Tim Sheehy could determine control of the upper chamber of Congress, but the ballot will also feature libertarian candidate Sid Daoud and Barb. The Montana <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic Party\">Democratic Party<\/a> was attempting to have Barb disqualified from the ballot, alleging that because he was &ldquo;appointed&rdquo; to replace the Green Party candidate who won the primary but later dropped out rather than &ldquo;nominated&rdquo; by the party, he was ineligible to appear on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/company-leading-arizona-recount-asks-court-that-procedures-be-kept-secret\/\" title=\"Company Leading Arizona Recount Asks Court That Procedures Be Kept Secret\">general election ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A lower state court denied the Montana Democratic Party&rsquo;s effort to boot Barb, and the state&rsquo;s high court <a href=\"https:\/\/juddocumentservice.mt.gov\/getDocByCTrackId?DocId=488786\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"denied\">denied<\/a> the party&rsquo;s attempt to get a preliminary injunction to block Barb and denied taking control of the case on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[The Montana Democratic Party] has not convinced us that the District Court erred in its rulings in its September 3, 2024 Order, although we reach the same result as that court under a different analysis. Since we have not concluded that the District Court is proceeding under a mistake of law, this matter is not susceptible to writ of supervisory control,&rdquo; the court ruling noted.<\/p>\n<p>Tester is widely considered the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent in an election year in which Democrats are on defense in Senate races in various battleground states.<\/p>\n<p>Former President Donald Trump won Montana handily in 2020, defeating President Joe Biden by 16.4 percentage points, and is expected to win by a wide margin in November. While Tester had managed to win reelection in the heavily Republican state in 2012 and 2018, polls indicate his luck appears to be running out in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <em>Real Clear Politics<\/em> polling average <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/general\/2024\/montana\/sheehy-vs-tester\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"shows\">shows<\/a> Sheehy leading Tester, 50%-44.8%, and the <em>Cook Political Report<\/em> has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cookpolitical.com\/ratings\/senate-race-ratings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"rated\">rated<\/a> the race as &ldquo;lean Republican.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a recent AARP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/content\/dam\/aarp\/research\/topics\/voter-opinion-research\/politics\/montana-older-voter-survey-2024.doi.10.26419-2fres.00813.034.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"poll\">poll<\/a>, Sheehy leads Tester, 51%-45%, in a head-to-head matchup, while in a matchup including libertarian and Green Party candidates, Sheehy&rsquo;s lead over Tester grows to 49%-41%.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1762931\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1762931\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tester\u2019s path to reelection becomes more challenging following Montana Supreme Court ruling. The court rejected the Montana Democratic Party&#8217;s attempt to disqualify Green Party Senate candidate Robert Barb from the ballot for the upcoming crucial Senate election in November. This prominent contest between Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Republican Tim Sheehy could influence control of the U.S. Senate, with libertarian candidate Sid Daoud and Barb also on the ballot. The Montana Democratic Party argued that Barb should be removed because he was &#8220;appointed&#8221; to replace a Green Party candidate who withdrew after winning the primary, rather than being &#8220;nominated&#8221; by the party, making him ineligible for the general election ballot. A lower state court had already dismissed this effort, and on Tuesday, the state Supreme Court upheld that decision while denying a request for a preliminary injunction against Barb and declined to take over the case. The ruling stated that \u201c[The Montana Democratic Party] has not convinced us that the District Court erred in its rulings&#8230; Since we have not concluded that the District Court is proceeding under a mistake of law, this matter is not susceptible to writ of supervisory control.\u201d Tester is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents during an election year where Democrats are defending seats in several competitive states. In 2020, former President Donald Trump won Montana decisively over President Joe Biden by 16.4 percentage points and is anticipated to secure another significant victory in November. Although Tester successfully won reelection in this predominantly Republican state in 2012 and 2018, current polls suggest his chances may be diminishing for 2024; Real Clear Politics shows Sheehy ahead of Tester at 50%-44.8%, while Cook Political Report categorizes this race as \u201clean Republican.\u201d An AARP poll indicates Sheehy leading Tester at 51%-45% head-to-head; when including candidates from other parties like libertarians and Greens, Sheehy&#8217;s advantage expands further to 49%-41%<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2342753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jon-tester-tim-sheehy-august-2024.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[41127,5894,8313,4941],"class_list":["post-2342752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-montana-supreme-court","tag-politics","tag-reelection","tag-tester"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jon-tester-tim-sheehy-august-2024.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2342752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2342752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2342753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2342752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2342752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2342752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}