BIG SKY— Montana’s fiercely-contested U.S. Senate race ramps up Saturday as Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Denny Rehberg face off in debate for the first time since the campaign kicked off more than a year ago.
Control of the Senate is potentially at stake in one of the most-watched races in the nation.
First-term incumbent Tester, a self-described “dirt farmer” from Big Sandy, narrowly won six years ago. He’s since tried to solidify support by appealing to a broad range of voters including veterans, seniors and women.
But Rehberg is proving a formidable opponent who already enjoys statewide name recognition after six terms as Montana’s sole member of the House. The real estate developer from a long-time Billings ranching family has amassed plenty of cash and hammered Tester as a yes-man for the Obama administration.
Libertarian candidate Dan Cox will also participate in Saturday’s debate, hosted by the Montana Newspaper Association.
But the focus will be on Tester and Rehberg. Analysts say the campaign is destined to become the most expensive in Montana history.
After months of political skirmishing through surrogates and on the airwaves, Saturday’s event offers the first chance to see the how the candidates square off in person.
There are more than four months to go before the election, and many voters remain tuned out, said Montana State University political scientist David Parker. But for the campaigns and the reporters covering the race, Parker said the debate could set the tempo for coming months.
“This is the first opportunity for the journalists, the newspapermen, to see these guys mano a mano, without the filter of the special interest money and without the filter of the TV ads,” Parker said. “It’s most important for them not to make any mistakes because those would be played over and over again in the coming months.”
The issues at play so far in the race — including the deficit, tax policy, jobs and natural resource development — offer a microcosm of the national political divisions among Republicans and Democrats.
But Parker said the two candidates on Saturday will try to put their personal marks on those issues — Tester stressing his independence from the Democratic party line and Rehberg angling to tie his opponent to what he calls the failed policies of the Obama administration.
On top of special interest money pouring in, the two candidates combined have raised almost $12 million and spent more than $5.6 million, according to the latest finance reports from their campaigns. Analysts say total spending could easily top $20 million.