In November, Montana voters will choose between Sen. Jon Tester, a farmer and Montana native, and his challenger, Tim Sheehy, a newcomer to Montana and to politics, being a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth in Minnesota. After a few years starting a business, buying a 20,000 acre ranch and a property at Flathead Lake, he’s jumped into wanting to be Senator.
What I like about Tester is his Montana roots. My grandparents, like his, homesteaded more than 100 years ago, on land that is still in the family. He taught music in a rural school and served in the Montana Legislature where he was elected President of the Senate. As one of the most respected and powerful Senators, he has brought a lot of federal dollars to Montana, for hospitals, veterans, and infrastructure, like high speed internet access for rural areas. He speaks truth to power. He told President Biden he should step aside.
What I don’t like about Tim Sheehy is his newcomer status, his lack of political experience, his fluid stories about being wounded in combat — no record? His abrupt departure as CEO from his company amidst allegations that the company is flirting with financial disaster. His jokes and slurs reveal his misunderstanding and lack of sensitivity to our youth, who struggle with gender identity. I’m tired of the uber-wealthy moving into Montana and thinking they can buy their way into anything.
