Jon Tester | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2014 | |
| United States Senator from Montana | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2007 Serving with Steve Daines | |
| Preceded by | Conrad Burns |
| Chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| Assumed office February 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jerry Moran |
| Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – February 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Blumenthal |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Moran |
| Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Leader | Harry Reid |
| Preceded by | Michael Bennet |
| Succeeded by | Chris Van Hollen |
| Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee | |
| In office February 12, 2014 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Maria Cantwell |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| President of the Montana Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Deputy | Dan Harrington |
| Preceded by | Bob Keenan |
| Succeeded by | Mike Cooney |
| Member of the Montana Senate | |
| In office January 4, 1999 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Loren Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Jim Peterson |
| Constituency |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Raymond Jon Tester August 21, 1956 Havre, Montana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Sharla Bitz (m. 1978) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | College of Great Falls (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Raymond Jon Tester[1] (born August 21, 1956) is an American politician and farmer serving since 2007 as the senior United States senator from Montana. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the dean of Montana's congressional delegation and since 2021 has been the only Democrat holding statewide office in Montana. He served in the Montana Senate from 1999 to 2007, and as its president for his last two years in the chamber. Tester has been Montana's only congressional Democrat since 2015.
Tester was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, defeating Republican incumbent Conrad Burns in one of the closest Senate races of that year. He narrowly won reelection in 2012 against U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg, and in 2018 against Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale. He is running for reelection in 2024 against Republican nominee Tim Sheehy.
Considered a moderate Democrat, Tester voted for the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which partially repealed the Dodd–Frank Act. A gun owner, he has supported efforts to loosen restrictions on gun exports and voted against Democratic proposals to expand background checks. Tester voted against the DREAM Act and has voted for and defended the Affordable Care Act. He is a supporter of abortion rights.
- ^ "Otis McDonald, et al. v. City of Chicago, Illinois, et al" (PDF). American Bar Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2014.