The Montana state legislative committee blocked a Republican proposal to alter the state's 2024 U.S. Senate primary, recommending a new law that would limit participation in the general election to just two people.
The proposed law would have effectively eliminated third-party candidates and would have benefited the GOP-dominated state by creating a jungle primary, allowing the top two candidates in elections to move on to the general election. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is the only statewide elected Democrat in the state, and the law, which was written to be in place for a single election cycle, was expected to struggle to find its way into the final contest if the rule passed.
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Tester announced he will seek reelection in February and is widely considered to be one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats running in 2024. The highly anticipated race is expected to be one of the most competitive for both parties as Republicans make a bid for Tester’s seat.
Two Republican House members are expected to challenge Tester — Reps. Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale.
Republican state Sen. Greg Hertz sponsored Senate Bill 566, which was tabled on Wednesday by the House State Administration Committee in a nearly unanimous vote of 17-1.
Senate Bill 565, another bill from Hertz, which is aimed to increase the number of signatures on petitions required for third parties to hold primaries, failed Monday in an 18-0 vote.
Hertz argued that his bill is an effort to prevent either two parties from using hand-picked third-party candidates as a way of taking votes from opposite sides. Both bills cleared the Senate earlier this month, but not without stark opposition.
“Let’s just call this bill what it is — nothing but a partisan power grab,” Democratic Sen. Ryan Lynch said on the floor in early April. “When we look at the termination date … it’s not insignificant that there’s one statewide elected official who’ll be part of this.”
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Many Republican lawmakers openly opposed the bill, along with Democrats and libertarians who say it is a political tactic.
“I have had a lot of my folks from back home reach out to me and ask me to vote ‘no’ on this,” Republican Rep. Gregory Frazer said during the hearing. “With all due respect to the sponsor, because I know that he’s worked very hard, but as the conduit of my constituents, I’m their voice. I’m going to oppose this bill.”