Kavanaugh confirmation battle galvanizes Montana’s Republican voters, could swing Senate race

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Kavanaugh confirmation fight could swing Montana Senate race

Montana contest between Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Matt Rosendale seen as a must-win in fight for control of the Senate; Peter Doocy reports from Bozeman.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Republicans facing a blue wave might have found a new way to whip up their base – at least for the next few days, thanks to Brett Kavanaugh.

“You know, Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a man of integrity with impeccable credentials,” Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday, to uproarious cheers and applause, at the end of a riff about other conservative judges President Trump has nominated.

Pence’s lines about Kavanaugh got a bigger rise out of the crowd than anything he said about tax reform, Obamacare or even 2016’s most reliable rallying cry – a promise to build a border wall.

“I think what it’s done is basically galvanize, certainly, the Republican voters,” said Montana Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale.

Matt Rosendale is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November.  (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)

Rosendale, the state’s auditor, is hammering his opponent, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., for his pledge to vote “no” on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

“He promised the people of Montana that at least he was going to meet with Judge Kavanaugh, give him fair consideration,” Rosendale said. “And he didn’t.”

Tester said on Tuesday that he would have loved to have met with Kavanaugh.

“We put out all sorts of dates,” he said.

Tester, a two-term incumbent, believes issues with Kavanaugh are much deeper than accusations that only recently surfaced.

“He has made decisions supporting the Patriot act,” Tester said.  “That alone is disqualifying.”

Several hours after Air Force Two took off from Bozeman, Tester’s campaign responded to Wednesday’s rally, with a dig about Rosendale’s roots in Maryland.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is getting hammered for his pledge to vote “no” on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. (REUTERS/Robert Galbraith, File)

“Maybe next time Vice President Pence comes to Montana he can spend some time meeting with real Montanans instead of swooping in to try to save Rosendale’s fledgling campaign,” Tester Communications Director Chris Meagher said in a statement.

Rosendale trails Tester by 3 points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.

But he’s got the firm backing of the vice president, whose ticket won here by 20 points in 2016.

“I think it’s time for Montana,” Pence said before exiting the stage, “to vote ‘no’ on Jon Tester.”