Trouble on the horizon in Montana for Senate Democrats

Senate Democrats face a daunting map in 2024, and their problems could be made even worse if Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) decides against seeking another term.

The Daily Beast reports that Tester is still undecided about a run in 2024 and that Democrats in Montana are all but admitting they have no backup plan should he decide to retire.

"Jon’s the only Democrat who can win here," said Tom Winter, who lost his own congressional campaign in Montana last year. "And that’s been settled for quite a while."

“I personally don't think that there is a Democrat in the state of Montana right now that could beat a Republican, other than Sen. Tester, for that Senate seat," said Penny Ronning, a Democratic congressional candidate who got blown out in her race last year against Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT). "Sen. Tester has a very high approval rating, and deservedly so."

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Tester, for his part, has said he will make a decision relatively soon on whether to run again.

In addition to the Montana seat, Senate Democrats will also face challenges holding onto Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sherrod Brown's (D-OH) seats, and also face potentially tough races in swing states such as Arizona and Pennsylvania.