Montana

Montana U.S. Senate race a possible “toss-up,” say analysts

Published

6 months ago

December 2, 2023

Montana U.S. Senate race a possible “toss-up,” say analysts

HELENA — We’re just over a month away from the official start of Montana’s 2024 election filing period, and the state’s most watched race – for U.S. Senate – is still taking shape.

When Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, announced last month he wasn’t running for reelection, that made Sen. Jon Tester’s 2024 race what some national analysts have called the toughest for any incumbent Democrat senator across the country.

This week, the Cook Political Report, a national political forecaster, announced it was shifting its analysis of the race from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss Up.”

Cook said their initial rating was based largely on the possibility of a Republican primary that would divide the party and potentially lead to a weaker nominee to challenge Tester. They said it was still possible there would be a heated primary between businessman and Navy veteran Tim Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale – if Rosendale decides to jump in the race, as has been expected.

However, the article described Sheehy as a strong candidate so far, with backing from state Republican leaders like Gov. Greg Gianforte and Sen. Steve Daines – who’s chairing the National Republican Senatorial Committee as it campaigns to win a GOP Senate majority. It also said Sheehy’s heavy advertising campaign appears to have boosted him in the eyes of voters, citing two recent polls his campaign publicized – one from a former pollster for President Donald Trump and one from a GOP polling firm – showing him with a lead in a potential race with Rosendale.

The redesignation comes despite Tester reportedly maintaining strong approval ratings in Montana. This week, the firm Morning Consult published a report that Tester holds 61% approval in the state – the fourth highest out of all 100 senators in their results.

The Cook article acknowledged Tester has been able to outperform Democratic presidential candidates in Montana, but said political trends nationwide have made it harder to outrun the top of the ticket. Tester’s now one of just five senators in the country from the opposite party of their state’s winning presidential candidate in 2020.

Tester’s campaign said in a statement that they’re ready for a hard-fought race.

“Jon’s no stranger to tough fights, and this election will be no different,” said Shelbi Dantic, Montanans for Tester campaign manager. “Montanans of all political stripes support Jon Tester – including independents and Republicans – because they know Jon will take on anyone to do what’s best for Montana.”

Sheehy’s campaign put out a news release highlighting the Cook “Toss Up” designation. They touted it and the recent poll results as signs of his strength.

“Tim Sheehy’s lead in the potential primary matchup highlights that Montanans want to elect a political outsider who can bring a new generation of conservative leadership and finally defeat Jon Tester next year,” the release said. “It’s clear that Tim’s message on the airwaves showcasing his military leadership as a former Navy SEAL and businessman and aerial firefighter is resonating with Republican primary voters in Montana.”

Though Rosendale still hasn’t announced a Senate run, he’s described Sheehy as a candidate of Washington insiders.

“Cook Report just changed this race to a tossup,” said Aashka Varma, a spokesperson for Rosendale. “If the NRSC shifted its resources to exposing Tester as a reliable vote for Schumer instead of dismissing the choice of Montana voters, this race would already be listed as a likely Republican seat. This is precisely why the GOP continues to be in the minority in the Senate.”

Former Montana Secretary of State and Public Service Commissioner Brad Johnson is also running for the Republican nomination for Senate.

Montana’s candidate filing period begins on Jan. 11 and closes on March 11, so that is the time Rosendale and any other potential candidates will have to make their final decision.

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Montana

What to know about this year's Missoula Marathon weekend

Published

4 hours ago

May 29, 2024

Press Room

What to know about this year's Missoula Marathon weekend

(KPAX)The Missoula Marathon is set to hit the streets on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

The race has been named as the Best Marathon In The U.S. on several occasions and has garnered several other awards as well.

From the Missoula Marathon website:

“The Missoula Marathon course is flat, fast, USATF certified, and a Boston Qualifier! The marathon course does have a hill at the halfway point, but what goes up must come down! The course is a point-to-point, beginning with a scenic route through the countryside and finishing in historic downtown Missoula. The marathon course is well marked with both cones and arrows on the road. You will notice every mile is marked on the road and with 8ft tall mile markers.”

Marathon weekend kicks off with the three-mile Missoula Marathon Beer Run hosted by Run Wild Missoula on Friday, June 28.

The 1.2-mile Missoula Kids Marathon steps off on Saturday in front of Boone and Crockett Club in downtown Missoula.

Also taking place on Saturday is the Tony Banovich 5K which starts and ends in the area of the Beartracks Bridge in downtown Missoula.

The 13.1-mile Missoula Half Marathon — which is USATF certified — takes place on Sunday morning.

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Montana

Montana Supreme Court schedules oral arguments in youth climate case

Published

11 hours ago

May 28, 2024

Press Room

Montana Supreme Court schedules oral arguments in youth climate case

The Montana Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the state’s appeal of the youth-led climate case Held versus Montana. On July 10 the court will hear from state officials and lawyers for the 16 youth plaintiffs who sued the state. They argue the state is failing to act on climate change.

A lower court ruled in favor of the young people last August, saying Montana’s constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment includes addressing climate change. The Supreme Court’s decision will be the final outcome of this case since it is predicated on the state constitution.

This decision will have implications both within Montana and the state’s Environmental Policy Act but also nationally as this is the first constitutional-climate litigation to have gone to trial in the U.S.

Similar youth-led cases are being pursued in other states and Montana’s ruling may contribute to the legal precedent for those cases.

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Montana

Montana Town Named One Of The Most Dangerous In U.S.

Published

18 hours ago

May 28, 2024

Press Room

Montana Town Named One Of The Most Dangerous In U.S.

Let’s be honest, when most people think about Montana, they think of mountains, lakes, and National Parks. I mean, it’s called The Last Best Place for a reason, right? While Montana has all of that and more, according to some recent data, we also have some serious crime across the state.

Over the years, Montana has become a hub for illegal activity, especially when it comes to drugs. No, I’m not talking about our friendly hippies baking “special brownies”, we’re talking about the hard stuff.

A recent national article talked about how Montana has become a destination for fentanyl and how drug dealers are making millions of dollars by selling these illegal drugs at a premium price and killing Montanans in the process.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Montana has a crime problem, and according to data, a lot of that is happening in one Montana city.

Which Montana city is one of “the most dangerous” in America?

The website Neighborhood Scout searches cities and towns across the nation and grades them according to their safety and one Montana town didn’t get a very good report card.

Credit: Canva

The state’s biggest city is also the most dangerous. That makes sense based on population, but according to the facts and figures, it’s a little more alarming than that. As far as the crime index (100 being the safest) Billings scored a 2. What does that mean? Well, according to the website, that means that Billings, Montana is safer than 2 percent of U.S. Cities.

Credit: Canva

This makes the crime rate in Billings one of the highest in America. In fact, according to the data the average person has a 1 in 19 chance of being a victim of either a violent or property crime.

The good news? There are several neighborhoods in Billings considered safe. Here’s a look at the Top 5 according to Neighborhood Scout:

West Shiloh
Lockwood East
Baseline/Hesper
Broadview/Acton
Blue Creek

It’s good information to know, especially if you’re thinking of moving to the state’s largest city. Either way, be safe.

The 7 Most Dangerous Towns In Montana

Based on information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, these are the most dangerous towns in Montana according to population and the number of violent and property crimes.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

Montana’s 7 Poorest Cities Ranked

For many Montanans, it’s a struggle to make ends meet. With the high cost of housing, several locals have found themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to just getting by. Throw in the fact that prices are on the rise in almost every aspect of our lives and it’s not too hard to see why so many Montanans are frustrated and are looking to leave The Treasure State.. Let’s take a look at the state’s 7 poorest cities according to Stacker.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

The Most “Montana” Towns In Montana

If you’re looking for the best that Montana has to offer, you might want to start by asking a local and that is exactly what we did. We wanted to know which Montana towns were the most “Montana” and who better to ask than the folks who were born and raised in The Treasure State?

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

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