In a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, incumbent Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has launched attacks against his Republican opponent, Tim Sheehy, over his position on abortion. Montana’s Senate race is one of several close contests nationwide, with Democrats defending seats to maintain their slim majority. If Republicans manage to flip Tester’s seat, they could regain control of the Senate even if other key Democratic-held seats remain intact.
According to PolitiFact and MTN news Tester’s campaign is misrepresenting Sheehy’s position on abortion.
Tester’s campaign has released a series of ads, starting in early September, claiming that Sheehy supports banning abortion without exceptions. One of the ads states, “Tim Sheehy wants to take away the freedom to choose what happens with your own body, and give that power to politicians. Sheehy would let politicians like him ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or to save a woman’s life, and criminalize women. We can’t let Tim Sheehy take our freedom away.”
Another ad echoes this message, saying Sheehy “wants to let politicians decide by allowing them to ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or even to save a woman’s life.” A pro-Tester political action committee (PAC) called Last Best Place PAC has similarly accused Sheehy of supporting a no-exceptions abortion ban, citing Sheehy’s general support for leaving abortion policy to individual states.
However, these claims are misleading. Sheehy has publicly stated his support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. Despite these exceptions, Tester’s campaign argues that by leaving abortion regulations to states, Sheehy is somehow empowering legislators to potentially enact laws that lack those exceptions.
