Montana GOP Pushes for Election Rule Changes to Defeat Jon Tester.

Montana Republicans are pushing a bill to rewrite the rules for the state's next U.S. Senate race, making it difficult for third parties to reach a general election ballot. The bill would shift the contest from a traditional election into a "top two" primary system, and only apply to the 2024 race against Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat. The bill's sponsor claims it would ensure the senator wins with more than 50% of the vote and tamp down on parties' interference with third-party candidates. However, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have claimed that the bill reeks of political interference.