Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy resigned as CEO on July 1 from the company he founded with his brother, Bridger Aerospace. He founded this company that works on firefighting after his career as a Navy SEAL. Sheehy is moving on after he easily won the primary election and will now face incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in the general election.
Sheehy said in a statement issued by the company, “This exceptional team deserves a fully focused CEO during its busy fire season. Now that I have won the primary election, it is appropriate for me to allow our leadership team to focus on their duties … I look forward to watching their continued success.”
Sheehy acknowledged previously that he planned to resign from his positions as CEO, president, and a member of the board of directors for the Bozeman-based Bridger Aerospace if he is successful in his campaign in November. Senate rules would require such actions. His resignation now serves to sever any relationship to drama that his ties to the publicly traded company would bring. This would also allow him to focus on this opportunity for the GOP to flip a Senate seat.
This firefighting company that Sheehy built following his career as a SEAL has also been a key part of his campaign message and its effort to bolster Sheehy’s credentials as a businessman. Sheehy’s campaign released a video on social media in which he discusses being a job-creator and aerial firefighter.
This move means Sheehy has a chance. He can campaign full-time in this election due to how close it will likely be. He has already reaped the benefits from being able to point to his work as CEO, and now he needs to severe the burden of running a publicly traded company. Republicans have a duty to applaud this move, which represents his full commitment to the challenge against Tester.
Sheehy has thus far been successful in running a campaign on “common sense.” He made a statement on X outlining the essence of this race: “This campaign aims to uphold traditional American values that are currently threatened by Joe Biden and Jon Tester. It prioritizes rewarding hard work, securing the border, ensuring safe streets, improving schools, supporting law enforcement, and upholding clear distinctions between genders. It’s time to take action!”
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An internal Republican poll, published by Politico and done in early June of 500 likely voters, found Sheehy leading Tester by 3 percentage points but within the 4.38% margin of error when including the Libertarian candidate that will be on the ballot. Head-to-head, Sheehy and Tester were tied at 4%. Further polling as of July 1 in the Hill shows Sheehy ahead again by 3.1%. This race is within reach for the GOP, and this move only serves to improve those chances.
This win will give the GOP the best opportunity to take the Senate in November.