A recent poll conducted among 538 registered voters in Montana shows Republican candidate Tim Sheehy with a 6-point lead over incumbent Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), with Sheehy garnering 50.8 percent support compared to Tester’s 44.7 percent.
Commissioned by NonStop Local, a regional television network, and conducted by American Pulse Research and Polling, the survey was carried out from Saturday through Monday.
The results indicate that Sheehy has a favorable rating of 49.8 percent, slightly higher than Tester’s 44.7 percent. Additionally, 50.6 percent of respondents believe Sheehy would handle the economy and inflation more effectively, while 42.1 percent favored Tester for these issues.
On immigration, 56.2 percent of voters expressed more confidence in Sheehy, compared to 39 percent who trusted Tester, who has previously served as the senior Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.
Interestingly, the poll also revealed that 45.3 percent of voters believe Sheehy would better handle abortion issues, while 42.9 percent expressed confidence in Tester’s stance on abortion rights.
The poll has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points. Montanans for Tester spokesperson Monica Robinson dismissed the poll’s findings, emphasizing Tester’s track record on issues important to voters.
Meanwhile, Sheehy’s campaign spokesperson Jack O’Brien stated that the Republican candidate is leading the campaign by connecting directly with voters across Montana.
Some Democrats have raised concerns about the poll’s credibility, noting it did not include Libertarian candidate Sid Daoud, whom Republican leaders have urged to withdraw.
The polling firm, American Pulse, lacks a rating for transparency and accuracy from FiveThirtyEight, and its managing partner, Dustin Olson, has ties to Republican politics and conservative media.