As the U.S. Senate race in Montana heats up, both candidates are placing as many last-minute ads as they can. A prominent issue in several of these ads is federal firearms regulation. Jon Tester’s campaign recently placed billboard advertisements that, among other things, claim that he is ‘pro-gun’. Tim Sheehy, on the other hand, has been running newspaper ads pointing out that Tester has an F-rating from the NRA, while he has an A.
In fact, Jon Tester does have an F-rating from the NRA. The NRA website describes candidates with an F-rating as the following:
“True enemy of gun owners’ rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners’ rights and/or actively leads anti-gun legislative efforts, or sponsors anti-gun legislation.”
The NRA has pointed to Tester voting for anti-gun Supreme Court justices and against pro-Second Amendment justices, voting for criminalizing private firearm transfers and in support of government blacklists, and opposing state management of wildlife. They have also called him out for voting in support of red flag gun confiscation laws and “the Biden/Harris Pistol Brace Rule”.
In a statement sent to Aaron Flint of Montana Talks, the Chairman of the NRA Political Victory Fund said this:
“This November gun owners can’t afford to sit on the sidelines…though Tester likes to portray himself as a friend of gun owners, his voting record in the Senate makes clear he is not on the side of Montanans who support the 2nd Amendment. Tester has voted for Obama and Biden’s anti-gun Supreme Court justices and against pro-freedom justices. He has voted to spend taxpayer dollars to promote state-level red flag laws, which are ripe for abuse, and deny gun owners basic due process protections. And he’s voted multiple times to criminalize private firearms transfers while supporting government blacklists. To return a pro-gun majority to the United States Senate, Montanans should hand Jon Tester his walking papers and elect Tim Sheehy in November.”
Tim Sheehy has earned both an A-rating and an endorsement from the NRA.
The Gun Owners of America have reported essentially the same stance, giving Tester an F-rating and Sheehy an A. As a recipient of this grade, they describe Tester as the following:
“Anti-Gun Voter. A philosophically committed anti-gunner. Does not carry anti-gun bills but can always be counted on to vote against us.”
The Gun Owners of America Victory Fund has endorsed just two Senatorial candidates this cycle, Ted Cruz of Texas and Montana’s own Tim Sheehy.
