During this week’s Senate race debate in Montana, Republican candidate Tim Sheehy ripped his opponent, Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, for being the no. 1 recipient of lobbyist cash, including the times where Sheehy was deployed to Afghanistan.
“Sen. Tester knows all about backroom meetings, he's been taking them for 20 years,” Sheehy said during the debate.
“While I was fighting in Afghanistan, he was eating lobbyist steak in D.C.," said Sheehy, who is a U.S. Navy SEAL.
While I was fighting in Afghanistan, @JonTester–the #1 recipient of lobbyist cash in the country–was taking backroom deals and eating lobbyist steak back in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/C4bexA6Ezy
— Tim Sheehy (@SheehyforMT) October 1, 2024
On X, Sheehy posted a photo of data from 2024 showing that Tester was the no. 1 recipient of lobbyist cash in 2023-2024.
“The truth is out there,” Sheehy posted on X. “@JonTester REALLY is the #1 recipient of lobbyist cash in the ENTIRE COUNTRY.”
The TRUTH is out there—@JonTester REALLY is the #1 recipient of lobbyist cash in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. pic.twitter.com/ADaJJqonNF
— Tim Sheehy (@SheehyforMT) October 1, 2024
In June, The Washington Free Beacon reported that Tester took more money from lobbyists than any senator last year. Despite this, Tester attacked Sheehy in a television ad, calling him “shady” because he’s “taken hundreds of thousands in lobbyist cash” (via the Free Beacon):
Lobbyists have donated more than $458,000 to Tester from 2023-2024, besting his Democratic colleague Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), who raised $356,169. No Senate Republican incumbent comes close to Tester, who received more money from lobbyists than former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.).
Tester is one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this year, according to Roll Call.