With his family, Tester formally files for Senate run

HELENA, Mont. – With his wife and grandchildren at his side, Big Sandy farmer Jon Tester today filed to run for re-election to the United States Senate.

“Asking the people of Montana for another term is a family decision that my family supports, so I wanted them to be a part of this occasion,” Tester said.  “I’m not running for another term to improve my quality of life—I’m running to improve the lives of my grandkids and all Montanans who’ll live here long after I’m gone.”

Tester’s low-key event at the Montana Secretary of State’s office was starkly different from when Congressman Dennis Rehberg filed for candidacy in January.  Rehberg surrounded himself with dozens of some of the most irresponsible state legislators in Montana’s history.

“I’m running to build on our record of bringing accountability to the Senate, standing up to special interests and setting the bar when it comes to transparency and ethics standards,” said Tester, the first member of Congress to post his public schedule online.  “I’m running to build on my record of making responsible decisions like cutting government spending to reduce the deficit while protecting education, Medicare and Social Security.”

Tester added that he will continue to “fiercely defend” Montana’s value and traditions—including honoring veterans, strengthening gun rights, and opposing unpopular policies like the Patriot Act, REAL ID, and H.R. 1505—a controversial land grab bill.

Tester filed for candidacy after hosting a morning-long jobs workshop for women in Missoula.  The workshop was Tester’s tenth public workshop for Montana businesses and entrepreneurs.

“Working for all Montana—Democrats, Republicans, Independents and Libertarians—will always come first for me,” Tester said.  “Montanans expect a senator who puts citizenship ahead of partisanship.”

Rehberg has not held a public event in months.

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