In order to win reelection, Montana Democrat Jon Tester needs to defy recent history. "Montanans pride themselves in splitting tickets, but you have to give them a reason to do that," he told NPR.
Americans are finding fewer reasons to do just that. In 2016, every competitive Senate race tipped to the party that won the presidential race. And in 2020, just one senator — Maine Republican Susan Collins — won reelection in a state where the opposing party won the presidential race. In other words, split-ticket voting is at all-time lows in modern politics.
