Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) announced his reelection bid Wednesday for a fourth term in one of the most critical seats Democrats must defend to keep their Senate majority in 2024.

Tester, who has long dropped hints that he would vie for another term, underscored the need to reduce the high cost of living afflicting Montanans and the national middle class in a statement announcing his 2024 plans.

“I know that people in Washington don’t understand what a hard day’s work looks like or the challenges working families are facing in Montana,” the Democrat said in a statement per the Associated Press.

“Montanans need a fighter holding Washington accountable.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.