Update 11:22 p.m.
Republican Tim Sheehy's lead shrank to 49.9 percent to 48 percent over Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester as more votes were tallied.
Both Missoula and Silver Bow counties, which typically lean Democratic, released their vote tallies, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Other large Montana counties, including Yellowstone and Cascade, which lean more Republican, have yet to release any results.
Update 8:55 p.m.
Sen. Jon Tester took the stage briefly in Great Falls to speak with reporters.
“To the folks still waiting in line your vote is very important in this race... With your help and the folks' standing in line help, we’re gonna win this damn thing," he said.
Early returns show Sheehy with a 54 percent to 44 percent lead, with less than one percent of all precincts reporting.
The campaigning for Montana’s most expensive political race in history is over, and both candidates are now awaiting results.
Polls have closed for the U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy. The race has garnered national attention, with total spending reaching $255 million.
Sheehy, 38, is in Bozeman Tuesday night awaiting the results, while Tester is in Great Falls.
Tester, 68, is Montana's lone statewide Democrat who is seeking his fourth six-year term in office. A dirt farmer from Big Sandy, Tester has run to the middle during the campaign, almost never mentioning his party in campaign ads and focusing on his Montana roots.
Sheehy, a Gallatin County resident who grew up in Minnesota, is the founder of Bridger Aerospace, an aerial firefighting firm. He sailed easily through this summer’s primary election with major backing from Montana’s other U.S. senator, Steve Daines.
This is his first run for public office.
Sheehy is a former Navy Seal and has placed his military and business background at the center of his campaign.
The two campaigns have spent more than $100 million since the start of 2023. Tester has a nearly four-to-one spending advantage, having doled out $79.2 million to Sheehy’s $21.9 million.
The nonpartisan group OpenSecrets has identified another $155 million in independent expenditures, split evenly among groups supporting each candidate.
Polling this year has generally shown Sheehy in the lead, though the numbers have tightened in recent weeks. Analysts have noted that Tester is facing political headwinds while he’s on the ballot during the presidential race in Montana, which former President Donald Trump, a Republican, is expected to win easily.
Check back for updates on this race.
