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Jon Tester

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This is a profile of a U.S. senator. (See all the Montana portal for all incumbents, candidates and blogs.)

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Jon Tester is the Jr. Senator for the state of Montana

Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956), a Democrat, has been the Junior Senator from the state of Montana since 2007 (map). He is the first member of the Senate to post his daily schedule online (available here).

Contents

Record and controversies

General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Jon Tester voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Iraq War

For more information see the chart of U.S. Senate votes on the Iraq War.

Environmental record

For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Tester posts daily schedule online

With his inauguration in 2007, Tester became the first member of the Senate to post his daily schedule online.[1] It can be found here.

Calls for acting Attorney General to step down

On May 3rd the Washington Post reported that Sen. Tester called for Montana's acting Attorney General William W. Mercer to resign; after a federal judge found that he was "violating a federal law that requires him to live in Montana". Mercer, advocated for the law to be changed. Tester was quoted as saying "Mr. Mercer was operating outside federal law, so he had the law changed. That might work in Alberto Gonzales's Justice Department, but it's not how we do business in Montana."[1]

Main article: Bush administration U.S. attorney firings controversy

Biography

Born in 1956 near the town of Big Sandy, MT, where he now lives, Tester graduated from the University of Great Falls with a degree in music. He worked as a music teacher after graduation. Tester, a third generation farmer, runs an organic farm; he and wife went organic in the 1980s after they realized they could make more money while avoiding the sicknesses that they got from the pesticides.[2] As a boy Tester lost parts of three fingers on his left hand in a meat grinding accident.

In 1998, he successfully ran for Montana State Senate, and in 2005 was named Senate President. In Montana, State Senators are term-limited after two four-year terms. In 2005, at the end of his second term, Tester decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Sen. Conrad Burns. He and his wife Sharla have two children. [3]

2006 Senate race

In the Democratic primary Tester faced State Auditor John Morrison, a well-financed candidate backed by the National Democratic Party. Morrison, with a huge fund raising advantage, was expected to defeat Tester. Tester's popularity and grassroots approach led him to a large margin of victory in the June 6th primary.

Tester has focused his campaign against incumbent Sen. Conrad Burns as one between a Montana farmer and a Senator who has become to tied to the political structure in Washington. Allegations of impropriety in Burns' ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff have helped Tester make this argument. Tester is also a vocal opponent of the Iraq War and "wants Bush to draft a planned exit strategy that would lead to a shift in which Iraqis would be trained to take over their own country."[4]

In a debate Burns attacked Tester for wanting to "weaken the Patriot Act". Tester clarified his position by stating, "I don't want to weaken the Patriot Act, I want to repeal it. What it does, it takes away your freedom ... and when you take away our freedoms, the terrorists have won."[5]

Tester has sounded a populist note on economic issues in the campaign. He has called for fair trade policies and assailed free trade agreements as destructive to Montana farms, agriculture, and quality U.S. jobs. Tester stated that free trade policies "have been hurting Montana workers and Montana farmers, and resulting in the outsourcing of jobs."[6]

Tester defeated Burns by less than 3000 votes, a victory that was instrumental in winning Democrats control of the Senate. [7]

2008 elections

2008 superdelegate

 This information was gathered by volunteer researchers as part of the Superdelegate Transparency Project on the superdelegates for the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. For more info see the Montana superdelegate tracker or visit the STP homepage.


Before Hillary Clinton conceded the race, Jon Tester, as a superdelegate, had not endorsed a candidate for President.

For more information and sources, see the state page for this superdelegate linked to in the blue box above.

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. For specific controversies, see this article's record and controversies section. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00027605&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Jon Tester
from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by industry: 2006 election cycle Career totals


Committees and Affiliations

Committees

More Background Data

Background information on Conrad Burns, whom Jon Tester challenged in the 2006 congressional elections:

Contact

DC Office:
204 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2604
Phone: (202) 224-2644
Fax: (202) 224-8594
Web Email
Website

Billings:
Granite Tower
222 N 32nd St, Suite 101
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: (406) 252-0550
Fax: (406) 252-7768

Helena:
Capital One Center
208 N Montana Ave, Suite 202
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 449-5401
Fax: (406) 449-5462

Bozeman:
211 Haggerty Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone: (406) 586-4450
Fax: (406) 586-7647

Kalispell:
1845 Highway 93 South, Suite 210
Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 257-3360
Fax: (406) 257-3974

Butte:
Silver Bow Center
125 W Granite, Suite 200
Butte, MT 59701
Phone: (406) 723-3277
Fax: (406) 782-4717

Missoula:
116 W Front Street
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: (406) 728-3003
Fax: (406) 728-2193

Great Falls:
321 First Ave N
Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: (406) 452-9585
Fax: (406) 452-9586

Articles and Resources

Resources

Local blogs and discussion sites

Articles

Corresponding article on Wikipedia and Cause Caller. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of senators and representatives.)

Current Office: U.S. Senate
111th Congress
Leadership Position:
 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees:
110th Congress
Leadership Position:
 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees: Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs/Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs/Subcommittee on Housing Transportation and Community Development, Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs/Subcommittee on Securities Insurance and Investment, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Energy, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on National Parks, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Water and Power, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs/Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management Government Information Federal Services and International Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs/Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs/Subcommittee on State Local and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 7, 2006		 First Took Current Office:
January 3, 2007		 Next Election:
November 6, 2012		 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
Yes		 Previous Political Work?
Montana Senate		 Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. Granite Tower 222 N 32nd St, Suite 101 Billings, MT 59101
Phone: 406-252-0550 / Fax: 406-252-7768
2. Capital One Center 208 N Montana Ave, Suite 208 Helena, MT 59601
Phone: 406-449-5401 / Fax: 406-449-5462
3. 211 Haggerty Lane Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone: 406-586-4450 / Fax: 406-586-7647
4. 1845 Highway 93 South, Suite 210 Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: 406-257-3360 / Fax: 406-257-3974
5. Silver Bow Center 125 W Granite, Suite 200 Butte, MT 59701
Phone: 406-723-3277 / Fax: 406-782-4717
6. 116 W Front Street Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-728-3003 / Fax: 406-728-2193
7. 321 First Ave N Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: 406-452-9585 / Fax: 406-452-9586
Campaign Contact:

Website:
Webform Email: / Email:

Campaign Offices:

1.
Phone: / Fax:
Zip Code Affiliations:
Misc:

Date of Birth: August 21, 1956
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