Embattled Democratic senators steer clear of Kamala Harris buzz but hope it helps

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has made protecting reproductive freedom for women central to his campaign to remain the sole remaining Democrat to hold statewide elective office in Big Sky Country. He has campaigned with Planned Parenthood officials, advertised heavily in support of abortion rights, and embraced a ballot proposal to make abortion a state constitutional right.

Yet one woman Tester notably isn’t talking about much on the campaign trail is Vice President Kamala Harris.

With control of the Senate at stake, the seats held by Tester and Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio top the list for potential Republican pickups this fall. Former President Donald Trump is expected to win the two reliably red states by wide margins, so the Democratic lawmakers must walk a political tightrope to keep from alienating too many of his supporters.

That includes minimal mention of Harris, with her ties to an administration that’s unpopular in their states, even as her trailblazing effort to become the nation’s first female president energizes abortion rights supporters.

Tester, in an interview, said the desire to protect abortion access will attract voters “regardless of political ilk.”

“I think it appeals to people across the board because it’s about freedom, and Montana is a freedom-loving state,” he said. “This issue comes up more than any other issue.”

Both Tester and Brown could benefit from any momentum Harris’ presidential bid injects into key Democratic voting blocs, but if they do it almost certainly will happen quietly. Neither attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.

At least one observer thinks they’re being too careful.

“Democrats are not capitalizing on this very well, not just in Montana but in general,” said Paul Pope, a political analyst at Montana State University Billings.

Tester, Pope said, “has not moved the needle much. If he endorses Harris, he has the opportunity to capitalize on the broad support she has, and the excitement.”

Republicans in both states, meanwhile, are doing everything they can to knock the incumbent senators off their political tightrope. Staggering amounts of money have been spent by both sides in the two states.

Democrats so far have outspent Republicans in Montana, and Republicans have bet more heavily on Ohio, according to AdImpact, which tracks advertising by campaigns nationwide. Spending by the candidates and outside groups on television, radio and digital advertisements is on track to hit $636 million, the data show, including almost $400 million in Ohio and $240 million in Montana.

That equates to almost $50 for every registered voter in Ohio and more than $300 for every registered voter in Montana.

Tester declined to endorse Harris, saying the Senate race shouldn’t be about national politics, and used convention week to work on his farm and host a rally in Missoula headlined by the bassist for the rock band Pearl Jam. By contrast, his opponent, former U.S. Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, secured the GOP nomination following an early Trump endorsement and last month hosted the Republican former president at a rally in Bozeman.

During his stump speeches and on the airwaves, Sheehy constantly seeks to link Tester with Harris and other Democratic leaders, including President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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The Republican — who faced backlash in recent days after refusing to apologize for derogatory comments he made to supporters about Native Americans — describes Tester as the “deciding vote” on key Democratic legislation over the past several years. That includes the Biden administration’s climate bill and several failed GOP measures to further restrict immigration.

“Tester’s voting record is his endorsement of the failed Harris agenda,” said Sheehy spokesperson Katie Martin. “Every time Montanans needed him to stop the insanity back in Washington, he was the deciding vote to further her progressive liberal agenda.”

Brown also used the convention week to campaign back home, sweeping through rural and urban counties to shake hands with veterans and campaign volunteers. He has said he supports and would campaign with Harris, knowing that her abbreviated campaign is unlikely to set foot in a state so supportive of Trump.

Brown has used campaign events to remind women and young voters he supports abortion rights, while airing ads highlighting union workers, police and Trump’s signature on a border-related bill the senator sponsored.

Brown’s Republican rival, Cleveland area entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, ranks illegal immigration and inflation as bigger concerns for voters. Moreno accused Democrats of misrepresenting his stance on abortion — he says he supports reasonable restrictions after 15 weeks, not a “national abortion ban” — and predicted that the issue would not drive turnout as much as Democrats predict.

Michael Gonidakias, president of Ohio Right to Life, said pocketbook issues are motivating many voters this year, particularly with the passage of a 2023 constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights.

“No matter how hard you try to sway someone that cares about the issue of abortion one way or the other, economic issues will still dominate — in my opinion — how they vote,” he said. “Because things aren’t good right now.”

Katie Paris, founder of Red Wine & Blue, a political group focused on suburban women, said protecting abortion rights is an economic issue, and it remains a huge motivator for people she represents. The Ohio abortion amendment last year guaranteed an individual’s right to make their own reproductive decisions. It won nearly 57% of the vote.

“Issue 1 last year unified Ohio, and Kamala being a candidate who’s put freedom and reproductive freedom at the very center of her campaign, she’s put wind in the sails (of other campaigns) with a message that does have bipartisan agreement,” Paris said.

Both Sheehy and Moreno were endorsed by the leading antiabortion group SBA Pro-Life America. Sheehy said in a June debate that he backs restrictions on abortions with exceptions for rape, incest or to protect the mother’s life.

“That baby has rights too,” Sheehy said.

Tester’s campaign brought in a Planned Parenthood executive for a recent rally in downtown Bozeman, where more than 100 people jammed into a small events space with signs saying “Freedom” and “Tester” plastered on the walls. The rally coincided with a flood of “Republicans for Tester” advertisements on TV across the state.

Montana State University political scientist Jessi Bennion said the dual strategy makes sense.

“There are a lot of Republicans that have nuanced views on abortion. Tester’s trying to find all of those voters and they’re a small group but they’re swing voters, they split their ticket,” she said.

Some people at the rally openly worried about Tester’s prospects — and that if he loses it could drag down the state’s constitutional initiative on abortion.

“I’m nervous. I’m nervous about all of it,” said Leslie Peterson, 61, a retired teacher who said women should be able to decide for themselves if they want an abortion. “The state’s just gone so red in the last couple of years. ... It’s just gone completely Republican.”

Tester took the stage and described how his mother, a daughter of Montana homesteaders, fought for abortion access. The lawmaker declared the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade “the biggest reduction of freedom in my lifetime.”

“We got some things we can do about it,” he said as the crowd cheered. “We’re going to go the polls, we’re going to make sure that initiative passes, right?”

He did not mention Harris.

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Smyth reported from Columbus, Ohio.