Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy has established a significant lead over incumbent Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) in recent polling, with voters expressing greater trust in Sheehy on key issues such as the economy and immigration. The American Pulse Poll conducted for NonStop Local revealed that 51% of registered voter respondents support Sheehy, while Sen. Tester secured 45% of their backing.
The survey was conducted from August 10-12 in the wake of a Trump rally in Bozeman, Montana, at which Sheehy appeared alongside the former president. Top election issues cited by respondents included inflation, economy, and jobs (28%) and affordable housing (15%), with immigration and border control coming in third at 14.
Voters placed greater trust in Sheehy over Tester on various policy areas, including a 17% lead on immigration issues, a 9% edge on the economy, and a 2% margin on abortion. Respondents also indicated that their values aligned more with Sheehy’s by a seven percent margin and that they believed he would be a “better leader for Montana” over Tester by six percentage points.
According to American Pulse Research & Polling President Dustin Olson, these findings suggest that Montana could contribute to a potential Republican majority in the U.S. Senate come Election Day. In particular, he noted that Montanans prioritize economic issues and believe Sheehy would handle them more effectively than Tester.
The poll also surveyed opinions on the presidential race in Montana, revealing that former President Trump holds a comfortable 14-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris, with Trump garnering support from 52% of respondents and Harris receiving 38. The margin of error for this survey is ± 4.2 percentage points.