Trump-backed Tim Sheehy wins GOP primary in Montana Senate race

Republican businessman Tim Sheehy won the GOP primary for Senate in Montana, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection, as he looks to flip Democrat Sen. Jon Tester’s seat in the red state. 

Tester’s seat is seen as key to Republicans’ hopes of winning the Senate majority this fall.

Former President Trump and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who chairs the Senate Republican campaign team, have both thrown their weight behind ex-Navy SEAL and political newcomer Sheehy. He came under scrutiny this spring over a gunshot wound, after the Washington Post highlighted inconsistent accounts of the incident that caused it.

Sheehy avoided a potentially bruising primary when Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) ended a short-lived Senate bid earlier this year, after facing backlash from Trump and others in the party.

Polling so far has shown Sheehy and Tester locked in a tight race.

A new forecast from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill, based on six polls, puts Sheehy at a 72-percent chance of winning in a head-to-head with Tester this fall.