U.S. Senator Jon Tester will again run in 2024, in boon for Democrats

By Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana will run for reelection, he said on Twitter on Wednesday, in a win for Democrats who are defending seats in several battleground states in 2024 as they seek to defend their thin 51-49 majority.

Tester, who has represented Montana in the U.S. Senate since 2007, is a reliable moderate who has won three tight races in the past in the increasingly Republican state.

"Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families," Tester said in a Twitter post declaring his reelection campaign. "I will always fight to defend our Montana values. Let's get to work."

The former music teacher has a reputation for folksy, down-to-earth authenticity, frequently mentioning his family farm that he still works on as a third-generation farmer.

Even with an incumbent's advantage, Tester will likely still face a tough battle for reelection.

Republicans have swept the state in federal elections in recent years, and will see the Senate seat as a potential pick-up.

Upcoming races in states including Montana, West Virginia, Ohio and Arizona all present challenges to the Democrats' ability to hold on to their Senate majority going into 2025.

Arizona U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema in December left the Democratic Party, changing her registration to independent. While she continues to caucus with President Joe Biden's party, her move could lead to a three-way race in 2024 between the incumbent, a Democratic candidate and a Republican challenger.

Democratic U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego last month said he would seek the party's nomination to challenge Sinema.

(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Richard Cowan, Alistair Bell and Chizu Nomiyama)