John Tester

Jon Tester

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This article is about the Montana farmer and U.S. Senator. For the Wisconsin merchant and state Assemblyman, see John Tester.

Jon Tester

Jon Tester, official 110th Congress photo.jpg

United States Senator

from Montana

Incumbent

Assumed office

January 3, 2007

Serving with John Walsh

Preceded by Conrad Burns

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Incumbent

Assumed office

February 12, 2014

Preceded by Maria Cantwell

President of the Montana Senate

In office

January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007

Deputy Dan Harrington

Preceded by Bob Keenan

Succeeded by Mike Cooney

Member of the Montana Senate

from the 45th district

In office

January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005

Preceded by ???

Succeeded by Jim Shockley

Personal details

Born August 21, 1956 (age 57)

Havre, Montana, U.S.

Political party Democratic

Residence Big Sandy, Montana

Alma mater University of Great Falls

Religion Church of God

Website Government website

Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is the senior United States Senator from Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Tester was first elected to the Senate in 2006, beating Republican incumbent Conrad Burns in one of the closest Senate races of that year. He won reelection in 2012 against Rep. Denny Rehberg in another close race. Tester previously served as the president of the Montana Senate and worked as a music teacher and farmer.

Contents [hide]

1 Early life, education, and farming career

2 Montana Senate (1999–2007)

2.1 Elections

2.2 Tenure

2.3 Committee assignments

3 U.S. Senate (2007-present)

3.1 Elections

3.2 Tenure

3.3 Group ratings

3.4 Committee assignments

3.5 Caucus memberships

4 Electoral history

5 Personal life

6 References

7 Further reading

8 External links

Early life, education, and farming career[edit]

Tester was born in Havre, Montana,[1] one of three sons of Helen Marie (née Pearson) and David O. Tester. His father was of English descent and his mother of Swedish ancestry.[2] Tester grew up in Chouteau County, near the town of Big Sandy, Montana, on land that his grandfather homesteaded in 1912.[3] At the age of 9, he lost the middle three fingers of his left hand in a meat-grinder accident.[4] In 1978, he graduated from the University of Great Falls with a B.S. in music.[5]

Tester then worked for two years as a music teacher in the Big Sandy School District before returning to his family's farm and custom butcher shop.[6] He and his wife continue to operate the farm; in the 1980s, they switched from conventional to organic farming,[7] raising wheat, barley, lentils, peas, millet, buckwheat, and alfalfa.[5] Tester served five years as chairman of the Big Sandy School Board of Trustees and served on the Big Sandy Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Committee and the Chouteau County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) Committee.[8]

Montana Senate (1999–2007)[edit]

Elections[edit]

Tester was first elected to the Montana State Senate in 1998, after his neighbor, a Republican state senator, decided not to run for reelection.[8] He was elected the minority whip for the 2001 session. In 2002, he was reelected with 71% of the vote.[9] In 2003, he became minority leader. In 2005, Tester was elected president of the Montana Senate, the chief presiding officer of the Montana Legislature's upper chamber.[8]

Tenure[edit]

His election as President marked a transition for Montana Democrats as they moved into the majority leadership of the Senate for the first time in more than a decade. Term limits prohibited Tester from running for State Senate for a third consecutive term.[10] While serving as Senate president, Tester supported increased funding for public education and cutting taxes for small business owners and the working poor. He also worked to make health insurance more affordable and require public utilities to use more renewable energy.[11]

Committee assignments[edit]

Senate Finance Committee (2001–2004)[12]

Senate Agriculture Committee (2000–2005)[13][14][15]

Senate Rules Committee (2003–2005)[16]

Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee (2005)[15]

Council Interim Committee (2003–2004)[17]

U.S. Senate (2007-present)[edit]

Elections[edit]

2006

Main article: Montana United States Senate election, 2006

Tester announced his candidacy in May 2005