U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana faces Republican Tim Sheehy in Monday night’s debate

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Montana Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy acknowledged Monday that disparaging remarks he made last year about Native Americans were “insensitive.” But Sheehy rejected his opponent’s call for an apology during a contentious debate in a race that proved crucial to control of the Senate.

Last year, outgoing U.S. Sen. Jon Tester challenged Sheehy over comments he made last year in which the Republican told a group of laughing supporters about his connections “with all the Indians while they’re drunk.” , while working cattle on a ranch on the Crow River. Reservation

“Yeah, insensitive,” replied Sheehy, a former US Navy SEAL. “I come from the military, like many members of our tribes. You know, we make insensitive jokes and probably color jokes sometimes.

Sheehy then tried to steer the discussion toward the immigration crisis, but Tester continued to press.

“Tim, the statement you made degrades Native Americans across the country,” Tester said. “You’re a big guy, apologize.”

“You apologize for opening the border,” Sheehy retorted.

The acrimonious exchange during the final minutes of the debate highlighted the growing tensions between the two campaigns as the contest enters its home stretch.

They are each fighting for support from the state’s small contingent of moderate Republican and independent voters seen as crucial to victory in November.

Sheehy, during the debate, sharply criticized Tester for his ties to lobbyists, who have donated more to the Democrat this election cycle than to any other member of Congress, according to the nonpartisan group OpenSecret.

“While I was fighting in Afghanistan. He was eating lobbyist steak in Washington,” Sheehy said.

Tester in turn accused Sheehy of wanting to ban abortion, even as the Democrat linked his own campaign to a ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion as a right in the state Constitution.

“I want to see Roe reinstated,” Tester said of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed some states to severely restrict abortions. “My opponent, on the other hand, feels exactly the opposite. He feels he has more of a right to make this decision than women.

Tester is the latest Democrat to hold high office in Montana and the race is on pace to become the costliest in state history. Republican Party leaders, including former President Donald Trump Sheehy hand-picked hoping to unseat Tester, a 68-year-old farmer.

Republicans need just two seats in November to gain a majority in the Senate when the new Congress meets next year. They are generally considered to have a lock on one of them, in West Virginiawhich means Montana could make the difference.

Trump won Montana by about 17 percentage points in 2020. Drawing on the former president’s popularity in the state, Sheehy frequently sought to group Tester with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican’s goal is to highlight public discontent with the administration’s efforts to stem illegal immigration at the southern border.

“Democrats on the Hill have refused to hold the administration accountable for the largest mass migration in the history of this country,” Sheehy said in response to a debate question.

Seeking to blunt the attacks, Tester skipped the Democratic National Convention last month, refused to endorse Harris and avoided mentioning her on the campaign trail. He opposed the government over tougher pollution rules for coal plants and pushed it to do more on immigration.

“Look, I’ll be the first person to tell you that President Biden has not done a good job on the southern border,” Tester said Monday.