Former Navy SEAL Challenges Sen. Jon Tester in Montana Senate Showdown

Tim Sheehy former Navy SEAL, and 2024 Republican Senate candidate in the state of Montana. Courtesy of Tim Sheehy

Tim Sheehy, an entrepreneur, firefighting pilot, and former Navy SEAL announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on June 27.

The Republican pledged to put “America first” in his 2024 bid to unseat the vulnerable incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

“Whether it was in war or business, I see problems and solve them,” Sheehy said in his first campaign video.

“America needs conservative leaders who love our country, and that’s why I’m running for the United States Senate. I want to create a better future for my kids and your children and grandchildren. Our campaign is about service, God and country, not politics as usual.”

Sheehy is challenging a Democratic Senator in what is thought to be a Republican state, making Tester’s attempt to maintain a crucial Democrat seat in the Senate a closely watched race.

Some of the key issues Sheehy plans to run on were outlined on the candidate’s website and included support for local agriculture, veterans’ issues, as well as gun rights.

“I will fight back against any attempt by liberal politicians like Joe Biden and Jon Tester from pursuing a radical gun control agenda that threatens our Second Amendment rights. Our right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Sheehy said of his stance on the Second Amendment. “As a Navy SEAL who fought for our country and to protect our freedoms, this is a fundamental constitutional right that must and will always be protected under my watch.”

According to Sheehy’s campaign, he will also focus on support of the unborn’s right to life, national security, forest management, fiscal responsibility, and border security.

“I’ve served overseas and seen firsthand what happens when you have a porous border,” Sheehy said. “What’s happening at the southern border is an absolute crisis, and it gets worse each day under the Biden administration and with career politicians like Jon Tester who talk a tough game about border security but aren’t getting the job done.

“We need to take a strong stand and secure our border, finish the wall, and finally put an end to illegal immigration once and for all.”

Bronze Star and Purple Heart

Sheehy’s diverse background includes serving as a Navy SEAL Officer and Team Leader, completing multiple deployments and missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, and the Pacific region. He engaged in numerous combat encounters throughout his service, earning commendations such as the Bronze Star with Valor for Heroism in Combat and the Purple Heart Medal.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 2008, Sheehy holds the distinction of being the first midshipman to participate in the U.S. Army Special Operations exchange program and the first to graduate from the prestigious Army Ranger School. Following his graduation, Sheehy was commissioned into the Navy, where he also successfully completed SEAL training.

While at the Naval Academy, Sheehy met his wife, Carmen, who also served as a U.S. Marine Corps Officer. Following his injury in combat, the couple settled in Montana, where they now live on a sprawling 20,000-acre property with their four children.

Emphasizing the importance of instilling values in their children, they actively engage in teaching them ranching skills while also contributing to the development of America’s food supply chain by raising, feeding, and processing cattle.

In late 2014, Sheehy demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Bridger Aerospace, a company that initially operated out of his barn.

Business Background

Sheehy started Bridger Aerospace after being medically discharged from the Navy following a battlefield injury, according to information from a profile on the now-candidate in Aerial Fire Magazine.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) became interested in the company’s products because of the specifics of the industry, and Sheehy was compelled to establish Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT) as a separate entity from Bridger to continue working with the DOD.

Over the following few years, AVT would become the biggest provider of their service for the DOD. The products were used to shoot down hostile drones, being utilized by ISIS on the battlefield, as well as a number of jamming devices and kinetic weaponry.

In 2020, Sheehy sold AVT to CACI for a $350 Million cash sale and turned his focus back to the growth of Bridger, which had continued to grow alongside AVT.

The recent consolidation merger between Jack Creek Investments and Bridger Aerospace resulted in Bridger Aerospace going public.

According to Simply Wall Street, insiders retained more than 49 percent of company shares in Bridger, combined with the public holding an additional 15 percent of shares, leaving just over 35 percent to be held by firms, private companies, and institutions.