Raymond Jon Tester is an American farmer and politician. He is currently serving as a senior United States Senator from the state of Montana. He was born in Havre, Montana, and grew up in Chouteau County, Montana.
He graduated from the University of Providence. He got a B.A. degree in music from the College of Great Falls. He succeeded former the United States Senator Conrad Burns.
He is serving with Senior Senator Steve Daines from Montana, United States.
After graduating, Tester took over his family farm. He was also a music teacher at F.E. Miley Elementary school. He worked his way up to the Big Sandy School board.
Senator Jon Tester ran for the Montana Senate in 1998 after his neighbor who was a Republican Senator decided not to run for re-election. Because of his service on the Big Sandy school board, he was elected the minority whip in 2001. He was re-elected in 2002.
In 2003, Tester became the minority leader. He served as a “holdover” for the 15th district because of redistricting in 2004. He was elected as president of the Montana Senate in 2005.
Tester chose to run for the U.S. Senate seat in 2005 which was held up by Senator Conrad Burns.
Tester had a greater following among fellow legislators but Burns was able to raise more money and he had great recognition. Tester won the Democratic nomination in a six-way primary. He won the November 2006 election by a close margin and defeated Burns.
Tester ran for re-election in 2012 and won successfully. In 2018, he ran for a third term against Republican Matt Rosendale. He won the election.
Senator Jon Tester is reported as the third most moderate Democrat in the Senate. He has hosted hundreds of small business opportunity workshops for the people of Montana and he has made it possible for Veterans to get quality healthcare no matter where they live.
Jon is the top Democrat in the Veterans’ Committee.
You can find out more about the senator here.
Here’s our collection of the best Jon Tester Quotes:
Table of Contents
Jon Tester Quotes on Politics/Power
As a policymaker, as a public servant, I come to Washington, D.C., and I make difficult decisions and I make difficult decisions every day. And sometimes those decisions upset people.
Jon Tester
I have probably never voted for a straight ticket in my life, and I am a Democratic U.S. senator.
Jon Tester
I don’t know how the other senators see me. I hope they see me as a farmer. That’s really what I am. But I don’t think they see me on a tractor or fixing equipment. I hope they see me grounded, as somebody who has common sense.
Jon Tester
I think all politicians have gotten out of touch.
Jon Tester
I look forward to working with President Trump. I’ve worked with him many times in the past, but we disagree.
Jon Tester
If I was the leader of the House of Representatives, the first thing I would do is I would put in a very clean bill on reapportionment. And I would put a very clean bill in that says that corporations are not people.
Jon Tester
I think if you’re going to get anything done in the Senate, you have to be on the same sheet of music. If you don’t get people on the same sheet of music it comes out pretty horrible.
Jon Tester
I’ve got my problems with Trump, but I’m going to give him every opportunity to succeed.
Jon Tester
I think what Democrats need to do is they need to work for the country and make sure that not only the southern border but the northern border is secure – make sure that we have the ability on the borders to be able to screen every vehicle coming across to make sure that drugs don’t come into this country.
Jon Tester
Donald Trump was straight up. I mean, he told me what he thought of me, and that’s cool. I might not like it, but at least he did it to my face. That’s what Montanans like. They like people to be square with them.
Jon Tester
It brings me back to reality. The combine doesn’t care if you’re a senator or not. It breaks down whenever it wants to break down.
Jon Tester
Jon Tester Quotes on Tax/Economy
I think corporations are a whole lot different than people. I mean, I don’t know a corporation would be put in prison. I do know people would be put in prison.
Jon Tester
A well-trained workforce is critical to small-business success. What I hear from business is that it’s hard to find help that meets their needs.
Jon Tester
Jon Tester Quotes on Health/Climate
Healthcare is very much a high priority for me. Healthcare is also a huge issue for business, both big and small.
Jon Tester
If people really want to sit down and visit and talk about things like health care, which is a very, very important issue in Montana, I think oftentimes you want to get to the same goal. And that is affordable health care costs.
Jon Tester
Jon Tester Quotes on Equality/Society
I don’t believe in models that say you just knock on this door, you just go to this community, and you’ll get elected. I think you go everywhere, and you listen to everybody. Everybody’s got ideas.
Jon Tester
I’m a farmer. I always will be a farmer. When I die, I’ll be a farmer. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do since I was 8 years old. I can tell you also that I see opportunity slipping away for our kids.
Jon Tester
Montana’s ranchers raise the best cattle in the world. If Taco Bell needs to beef up, they can give their customers the highest quality meat around by using Montana beef, and in the process, supporting agriculture jobs in Montana.
Jon Tester
I think one thing that Montanans all agree on, whether you’re Republican or Democrat, is they want money spent appropriately.
Jon Tester
Montanans elected me to the Senate to do away with shady backroom deals and to make government work better.
Jon Tester
Jon Tester Quotes on Education
Montanans know who I am: They know I’m a lifetime Montanan. They know I understand rural America. They know I understand public lands and not privatizing them. They know I understand the importance of public education.
Jon Tester
I will tell you, in the case of education, you have to make the investment if you’re going to get the return. There’s no doubt about that. It’s a proven fact the return is there if you make the investment. It really is about priorities.
Jon Tester
You’ve got to have a good public education system so small-business owners, when they locate to an area, are confident their kids are getting the best education possible. I feel strongly about local control in school districts.
Jon Tester
Jon Tester Quotes on Rights/Justice/Constitution
Montanans believe in the right to make a good life for their families. How they define a family should be their business and their business alone. I’m proud to support marriage equality because no one should be able to tell a Montanan or any American who they can love and who they can marry.
Jon Tester
I go everywhere in the state and I listen to Montanans, whether it’s in conservative areas or liberal areas, and take those ideas back to Washington, D.C., and put them into action.
Jon Tester
When I have to do what I think is right for Montana, I do it.
Jon Tester
Other Jon Tester Quotes
I take my vacation on the combine and tractor.
Jon Tester
I didn’t get this physique by not eating tacos.
Jon Tester
That’s politics. Your friend one day is your enemy the next and vice versa.
Jon Tester
I think difference of opinion is a good thing.
Jon Tester
I think there’s plenty of folks out there, whether they agree with me or not, they appreciate the fact that you’re listening to them. And I think that’s how you win.
Jon Tester
The truth is that nobody agrees with anybody 100 percent of the time.
Jon Tester
I was helping my mom grind meat at our butcher shop, and it just hypnotized me. I don’t remember sticking my hand in, but it sheared off the three middle fingers and left me with a pinkie and a thumb.
Jon Tester
Agriculture drives most people crazy. It keeps me sane.
Jon Tester
I think there is some real therapy in getting your hands in the dirt and working with food.
Jon Tester
I will tell you unequivocally, a wall from sea to shining sea is not the right direction to go.
Jon Tester
I play trumpet. And I took all the music courses in college, so I can also play the string instruments, keyboard, the brass and woodwinds – but only well enough to teach them. If you put a violin in front of me, you wouldn’t say, ‘My God, that guy can play.’ It’d probably sound more like Jack Benny.
Jon Tester
This is going to sound really crude, but I lost my fingers in a meat grinder.
Jon Tester
I served on a lot of the local boards in my local community, and then I ran for the state legislature in ’98 and ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006. I mean, it was just kind of one thing after another. A series of really bad decisions.
Jon Tester
I have great faith in the people of Montana; they can’t be bought.
Jon Tester
Building houses and mansion ranching is not ranching.
Jon Tester
Summary
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