New polling from Emerson College shows the candidates in Montana’s U.S. Senate race are in a dead heat. However, the Republican is gaining ground as the election nears.
The poll shows Republican Tim Sheehy with 48% of voters in his corner to Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s 46%. Including the poll’s margin of error – that’s a statistical tie.
More Montanans have made up their minds, but 5% remain undecided. The last time Emerson College took the state’s political temperature in March, nearly 3 times the number of voters were undecided.
Sheehy gained ground from the last poll, in which Tester carried 44% of voters and Sheehy carried 42%.
The latest results were collected from 1,000 likely voters on August 5 and 6 via text message surveys. The data were weighted by gender, education, race, age, party affiliation and region.
Montana’s U.S. Senate race is attracting national attention and tens of millions of dollars in outside spending. Tester is campaigning for a fourth term, while political newcomer Sheehy hopes to flip the seat — and the Senate.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in support of Sheehy in Bozeman Friday evening.
The new poll also reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris has more support in Montana than President Joe Biden did as she replaces him on the top of the ticket. Trump lost 1% of voters since the March poll, and Harris picked up five percentage points.
Emerson College says Harris gained ground among women and voters with college degrees.
