Democratic Montana Senator Jon Tester will not attend this year’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. According to the Hill:
Both Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) will skip their parties’ upcoming national conventions, their campaigns told The Hill on Monday, in order to concentrate on their Senate race. …
While most vulnerable Republicans have shown less eagerness than Democrats to distance themselves from their party, the moves are a sign both men see utility in touting their independence from their national parties in the Republican-leaning but fiercely conservative state.
The Hill rates this race a "toss-up."
Obama held a 32 percent approval rating in Montana in November 2011.
