DEMS/ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Jerry Swick, an Army veteran who currently resides in this mountainous capital city, plans to vote this fall to keep Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Congress. He just doesn’t know how he would tell that to President Donald Trump, for whom Mr. Swick voted in 2016. Mr. Trump will host a campaign rally in Big Sky Country Thursday in an effort to corral his supporters behind Matt Rosendale, the Republican state auditor who hopes to quash Mr. Tester’s hopes for a third term…Mr. Trump and Senate Democrats from states the president won in 2016 will battle this fall over voters like Mr. Swick, who still enthusiastically support the president but may decide to keep their incumbent Democrats in Washington. Mr. Tester is one of 10 Senate Democrats up for re-election this year in states where Mr. Trump beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Republicans currently hold 51 seats in the Senate, compared with 49 controlled by Democrats. The GOP is aiming to pick off a few of the Trump-state Democrats to offset any losses they experience in November so they can protect or expand their caucus. Of the 10 red-state Democrats, four are listed by Cook Political Report as ‘tossups’; three Republican-held seats are ranked the same way. Mr. Tester’s race is rated as ‘likely’ to remain in the Democratic column.”
–Joshua Jamerson, “Trump Gears Up for Battle to Oust Democrats in States He Won,” The Wall Street Journal, July 4, 2018 3:55 pm