Jon Tester is on the ropes. His opponent’s wobbly position on public lands could get him back off them.
In a debate last week, Tester, Montana’s Democratic senator, bludgeoned his opponent, Tim Sheehy, for his past statements supporting the transfer of federal lands to local control — a touchstone issue in a state where nearly a third of the land is owned by federal or state government.
“Tim has made an incredible transformation on this issue,” Tester said. “When he first started running, he said that public lands should be turned over to either his rich buddies or the counties, remove protection. Bad idea.”
Sheehy pushed back on the debate stage, arguing that he believes “public lands belong to the public,” and suggested his prior statements reflect his belief that more local management would help public lands.
