Long Tester-Rehberg Senate battle comes to a close

HELENA — The race between U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg has dominated Montana politics ever since Rehberg announced his Senate challenge in early 2011 — and it’s finishing the way it started: close to even.

Election Day also brings to a close the most expensive race Montana has seen — one that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate, currently held by Democrats.  

Right out of the gate, Rehberg attacked Tester for his ties to unpopular Obama administration policies, and he stuck with that theme throughout. Rehberg promised voters that his top priority would be to repeal the federal health care law while also seeking an extension to Bush-era tax cuts. 

Rehberg accused Tester of failing to live up to an original promise of independence by voting with Obama on many key issues. 

Tester had a more complex message for voters. 

The Democrat touted his work for Montana constituents — from improving veterans’ health care facilities to stimulus-funded infrastructure projects — while promising to make a stalled bipartisan budget and tax deal his top priority if re-elected. 

At the same time, Tester attacked Rehberg as a selfish career politician with few results to show for it. 

The two campaigns, and their third-party allies, flooded Montana airwaves with unprecedented $40 million in spending on the campaigns and attack ads. 

Rehberg and Tester did not disappoint in their four debates, but neither seemed to gain much of an edge as they hammered each other on familiar issues. 

Over the final week or so of the campaign, Tester allies unapologetically aired an advertisement that sought to convince conservatives to vote for Libertarian Dan Cox over Rehberg. 

Tester and Rehberg closed the campaign by touring the state to rally supporters to the polls. Tester made a personal appeal to enthused supporters. Rehberg brought in several surrogates to help him make the election a referendum on the Obama administration. 

Tester, previously a state senator, was seeking a second term after narrowly beating Republican Conrad Burns in 2006. 

It was Rehberg’s second run at the U.S. Senate. He previously fell short in a 1996 challenge to U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.