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Jonathan Tester
Senate · MT

Jonathan Tester

D · MTAge 69· Moderate / centrist Democrat

Jon Tester represented Montana in the U.S. Senate from 2007 through January 2025. He held the seat for three terms before losing his 2024 re-election to Republican Tim Sheehy by approximately 8 points. Tester chaired the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee during the 117th and 118th Congresses. His public identity was tied to his farm — he is a third-generation Montana grain farmer who continued to operate the family farm in Big Sandy throughout his Senate tenure. Politically he ran as a moderate, opposing the ACA individual mandate during initial debate but voting for the final ACA package in 2010, breaking with his party on gun legislation in 2013, and supporting Keystone XL pipeline construction. His three Senate wins (2006, 2012, 2018) came in elections where the Republican candidate was generally favored on paper.

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The Featured Four

Promises that define the record.

Four promises chosen to span how voters across the political spectrum view this politician's record.

KeptEntitlementsPROMISE #1

Protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts.

Verdict reasoning

Tester voted against every Senate measure during his tenure that would have reduced Social Security or Medicare benefits. He voted against the Bowles-Simpson framework in 2010, against the Ryan FY2014 budget resolution, and YES on the Inflation Reduction Act provisions expanding Medicare drug-pricing negotiation.

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Protecting Social Security and Medicare was a recurring commitment across Tester's four Senate campaigns. In 2010 the Bowles-Simpson Commission proposed raising the Social Security retirement age and reducing cost-of-living adjustments. Tester opposed the framework. The commission's recommendations did not advance. In August 2022, Tester voted YES on the Inflation Reduction Act, which authorized Medicare to negotiate prices on a defined list of prescription drugs beginning 2026 and capped Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 annually starting 2025. Stakes that entitlement-protection advocates foreground: Approximately 67 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. Approximately 65 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare. Approximately 36% of Montana's population is over 55. Tester's NO votes on Ryan-budget-style Medicare premium-support proposals protected the existing fee-for-service structure. Stakes that entitlement-reform advocates foreground: Social Security's trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033-2035, after which benefits would automatically be reduced to ~77% of currently-scheduled levels without legislative action. Tester's blanket-opposition framing accepted trust-fund depletion risk rather than negotiated reform. The verdict KEPT reflects vote-record alignment with the stated promise.
KeptVeterans' AffairsPROMISE #2

Expand veterans' healthcare access and address VA wait times.

Verdict reasoning

As chair of Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Tester led the Honoring our PACT Act (signed August 10, 2022) expanding healthcare and disability benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. He also led the VA MISSION Act (2018).

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The Honoring our PACT Act is the most consequential single piece of veterans' legislation Tester sponsored. The bill addressed a category of toxic-exposure claims that had been denied for years on evidentiary grounds. The bill cleared the House on March 3, 2022, then stalled in the Senate. On July 27, 2022, 25 Republican senators who had voted YES on the procedural motion the prior month — including Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — changed their votes, blocking cloture. Republican leadership stated the reversal was driven by a $400 billion mandatory-spending reclassification in the bill, which they characterized as a budgetary gimmick. Democratic leadership and veterans' advocates characterized the timing as procedural retaliation tied to a separate Schumer-Manchin reconciliation deal announced hours earlier. Both characterizations are documented in the public record. On August 2, 2022, the Senate again voted on the bill and it passed 86-11. President Biden signed it on August 10, 2022. The bill authorized approximately $280 billion in spending over 10 years for veteran healthcare and benefits. Stakes that veterans' advocacy organizations foreground: Approximately 3.5 million veterans were exposed to airborne hazards. As of August 2024, the VA had granted approximately 1.1 million claims under PACT Act expanded presumptions. Stakes that fiscal-conservative critics foreground: The Act's $280B was added to federal debt; CBO scored the Act as adding approximately $277 billion to deficits over 10 years.
PartialVoting RightsPROMISE #15

Restore the Voting Rights Act preclearance regime.

Verdict reasoning

Tester voted YES on cloture for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Freedom to Vote Act on multiple occasions. Cloture votes failed: the Republican Senate caucus filibustered as a unified bloc on each cloture attempt. On January 19, 2022, a vote to create a one-time filibuster carve-out failed 48-52 when Senators Manchin and Sinema joined all 50 Republicans in opposition. Tester supported the carve-out. The proximate obstacle was Republican filibuster; secondary on the carve-out vote was two Democratic defectors. Verdict PARTIAL per the obstruction-aware rule.

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The Voting Rights Act's preclearance regime, struck down 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), required certain states to obtain federal approval before changing voting laws. Restoring it was a recurring Tester commitment. Democratic-sponsored legislation to restore preclearance — the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — received Tester's co-sponsorship and floor support across multiple Congresses. Cloture votes failed: the Republican Senate caucus filibustered as a unified bloc on each cloture attempt. On November 3, 2021, cloture failed 50-49 with one Republican (Senator Lisa Murkowski) voting YES alongside the unified Democratic caucus and 49 Republicans voting NO. On January 19, 2022, a vote to create a one-time filibuster carve-out for voting-rights legislation failed 48-52 when Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) joined all 50 Republicans in opposition. Tester supported the rule change and voted YES on every cloture attempt. The verdict is PARTIAL because the promised outcome (restoration of preclearance) did not occur, but the procedural failure was driven primarily by the opposing party's unified filibuster, with secondary contribution from two same-caucus defectors.
BrokenFinancial RegulationPROMISE #19

Hold Wall Street accountable / preserve Dodd-Frank protections.

Verdict reasoning

Tester voted YES on the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155, May 24, 2018, 67-31), which rolled back portions of Dodd-Frank. The legislation raised the threshold for 'systemically important financial institution' designation from $50 billion to $250 billion. Tester was one of 17 Democrats who joined all Republicans in voting YES.

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The 2018 Dodd-Frank rollback is a documented break with Tester's stated position on financial regulation. The bill's most consequential provision raised the asset threshold for enhanced prudential standards from $50 billion to $250 billion. Banks in the $50B-$250B range — including institutions like SVB Financial Group and Signature Bank — moved out of the most stringent federal oversight category. In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (assets ~$209 billion) failed in the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history at the time. Signature Bank ($110 billion) failed within days. Both institutions were in the asset range that had moved out of enhanced oversight under S. 2155. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michael Barr's report on SVB's collapse (April 2023) explicitly identified the 2018 deregulation as a contributing factor. Tester's stated rationale: the bill provided regulatory relief to Montana community banks and credit unions. Critics argued the community-bank provisions could have been passed as a standalone bill without the $50B-to-$250B threshold change. The promise to hold Wall Street accountable and preserve consumer protections is not supported by a vote that loosened oversight on the institutions that subsequently failed.
Full Inventory

All tracked promises

#3
PartialGun PolicyInferred

Universal background checks for gun purchases.

Tester voted AGAINST Manchin-Toomey (April 17, 2013). He voted YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (June 2022).

#4
PartialAgriculture

Country-of-origin labeling for meat (COOL).

Tester sponsored multiple bills to restore COOL after Congress repealed it in 2015. The 2018 Farm Bill included voluntary COOL provisions.

#5
KeptFiscal

Oppose tax cuts that increase the deficit.

Tester voted AGAINST the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (December 2, 2017), citing CBO projection of $1.5 trillion in additional deficits.

#6
KeptPublic Lands

Protect public lands from privatization.

Tester voted AGAINST federal land-transfer provisions and YES on the Great American Outdoors Act (June 17, 2020, 73-25), permanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually.

#7
KeptVeterans' Affairs

Support VA reform and accountability.

VA MISSION Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-182) consolidated VA community-care programs; Tester was a primary negotiator.

#8
You DecideConfirmationsInferred

Vote against Trump-administration nominees deemed unqualified.

Tester voted against confirmation of DeVos, Pruitt, Kavanaugh, Barrett. Voted YES on Gorsuch and several lower-court Trump confirmations.

#9
You DecideWar Powers

Require congressional authorization for military intervention.

Tester voted YES on S.J.Res. 68 (February 2020) requiring congressional authorization for action against Iran. Mixed record on Syria, Yemen, Ukraine support.

#10
KeptVeterans' Affairs

Protect veterans' homelessness programs and expand mental health resources.

Sponsored Hannon Act (P.L. 116-171, signed October 17, 2020). Veterans homelessness funding through HUD-VASH protected and expanded.

#11
PartialGovernment Reform

Pass meaningful campaign finance reform.

Tester co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act in multiple Congresses. The For the People Act and Freedom to Vote Act passed Senate floor votes but failed cloture due to Republican filibuster. Tester voted YES on every cloture attempt.

#12
PartialAgriculture

Support family farms and oppose corporate agricultural consolidation.

Tester sponsored multiple anti-consolidation measures in Farm Bills. Family-farm decline continued despite efforts.

#13
PartialHealthcare

Reduce prescription drug prices.

Tester voted YES on IRA Medicare drug-price negotiation provisions. Negotiation covers a defined list of drugs; broader authority did not pass.

#14
KeptRural Infrastructure

Support broadband expansion in rural America.

Voted YES on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (November 5, 2021), which included $65 billion for broadband.

#16
PartialImmigration

Support comprehensive immigration reform with path to citizenship.

Tester voted YES on S. 744 (June 27, 2013, 68-32). Speaker Boehner declined to bring it to House floor. The 2024 campaign messaging emphasized border enforcement.

#17
PartialPublic Health

Hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the opioid crisis.

Tester co-sponsored opioid-distribution oversight measures. SUPPORT Act (P.L. 115-271, October 24, 2018) included Tester-supported provisions. Opioid overdose deaths rose from ~47,000 in 2017 to over 80,000 by 2021.

#18
KeptLGBTQ+ Rights

Support marriage equality and LGBT rights.

Tester announced support for marriage equality on March 21, 2013. Voted YES on the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 4567, November 29, 2022, 61-36).

#20
You DecideEnergy/ClimateInferred

Oppose climate-damaging fossil-fuel infrastructure.

Tester voted YES on Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (January 29, 2015) and YES on the override of Obama's veto (March 4, 2015). He cited Montana energy-economy benefits. Climate-advocacy organizations had opposed Keystone XL.

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