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 Big Sandy, 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 and 2018. He ran for reelection to a fourth term in 2024, losing to Republican nominee Tim Sheehy. His loss was one of three Republican flips in the Senate during the 2024 elections, the other two being in Ohio and West Virginia.[2]
Tester is known for some of his moderate positions. He voted for the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which rolled back parts of the Dodd–Frank Act, and joined Republicans in supporting a measure to delay certain environmental regulations affecting coal power plants. Tester voted against the DREAM Act and against Democratic proposals to expand background checks, and has supported efforts to loosen restrictions on gun exports. At the same time, Tester has supported Democratic priorities such as the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, and 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.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Election Live Results 2024". The New York Times. November 5, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 6, 2024.