Roll Call reports that Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R, MT-AL) will challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D) for reelection in 2012.
Rehberg’s status as a well-known at-large Congressman immediately pushes the matchup between the two Big Sky State politicians to among the most competitive Senate races in the country. Recent polling conducted for the Rehberg campaign bears that out.
The operative offered some internal Rehberg polling numbers showing the Montana Republican in a statistical tie with Tester in a prospective 2012 matchup.
The Opinion Diagnostics survey of 400 likely Montana voters showed 49 percent backing Rehberg compared with 43 percent for Tester and 8 percent undecided.
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Rehberg will make the announcement at Saturday’s Lincoln/Reagan dinner in Helena. Tea party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is also expected to attend.
Rehberg failed in his first attempt to win a Senate seat in 1996, losing to Democratic Sen. Max Baucus. He was first elected to the House in 2000.
This is not good news. Tester can still win, but he has the strongest possible GOP opponent running against him.