Tester, Jon (1956-…), became a United States senator in 2007. Tester, a Democrat, represents Montana. Prior to becoming a senator, Tester was a farmer and the president of the Montana state Senate.
Tester was born in Havre, Montana, on Aug. 21, 1956. He grew up in the north-central Montana town of Big Sandy, the site of the Tester family farm. In 1978, Tester earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Great Falls. After graduation, he worked as a farmer and music teacher. In the late 1980’s, Tester began to practice organic farming, which relies on natural substances rather than on synthetic chemicals to fertilize the soil and control pests. He became active in community politics and served as a member of a local school board and a soil conservation district.
In 1998, Tester was elected to the Montana Senate, where he served two four-year terms. He became the state Senate’s minority whip (assistant leader) in 2001 and the minority leader in 2003. In 2005, when Democrats gained a majority in the Montana Senate, Tester became president of the legislative body.
In 2006, Tester defeated incumbent Republican Senator Conrad R. Burns in a close U.S. Senate race. In the campaign, Tester emphasized his opposition to gun control and to government policies that he said unfairly favored big corporations. He also highlighted Burns’s connections with former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who had been convicted of conspiracy and fraud. Tester won reelection in 2012 and 2018. As a U.S. senator, Tester has focused on ethics reform and issues important to veterans, agriculture, and rural communities.
