September 21 – Sen. Jon Tester continued to distance himself from the Harris-Walz presidency during a news conference in Kalispell on Friday regarding legislation aimed at making homeownership more attainable.
Tester spoke to a group of reporters at Bias Brewing in downtown Kalispell on Sept. 20 about the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act. He is a co-sponsor of the bill, which would create a refundable tax credit of up to 10% of a home’s purchase price, capped at $15,000.
Tester said the bill would direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a program to advance the credit so it can be used at the time the home is purchased.
The legislation follows the announcement of similar efforts by Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democratic presidential candidate last month touted her economic agenda, which included up to $25,000 in down payment assistance and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.
Tester, who has not yet endorsed his party’s standard-bearer, said he could not comment on Harris’ plans to tackle the national housing crisis.
“I haven’t read the proposal,” Tester said Friday.
Tester said Congress can play a role in helping Americans when it comes to housing, citing the Homestead Act of 1862, which he said was the basis for his family’s move to Montana.
“I don’t have to tell people in this room that house prices are a real economic drag and it’s preventing our families, young and old, from being able to buy a home,” Tester said.
A number of business representatives and residents attended the press conference and expressed their support for Tester’s work to make affordable housing accessible.
Brian Aegerter, general manager of Applied Materials in Montana, said that during times of unprecedented growth, it is important to improve opportunities to attract and retain talent. Employee housing is a key part of that, he said.
Montana was recently designated a technology and innovation hub, opening the door to federal funding to boost the state’s technology sector. Both Tester and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, pushed for the designation at the federal level. The designation will help Montana companies like Applied Materials, Tester said.
“The semiconductor industry is poised for tremendous growth over the next decade, and to meet the challenge of that industry … we need to be prepared to strengthen Montana’s workforce,” he said. “For us, we need to build a workforce of the future, and for us that means policies that increase the opportunity to improve Montana’s talent pipeline.”
Tester’s bill is such an opportunity, Aegerter said.
Rick Guenther and Nancy Cronin, both Flathead Valley residents who work in Whitefish, were invited to the conference to share their experiences in the area’s housing market. Both had been priced out of their rental homes.
“Living in the community that we love is out of sight,” said Guenther, a Realtor and Whitefish resident. “… I’ve seen a lot of people move because they couldn’t afford it.”
Both Guenther and Cronin thanked Tester for his efforts and said they would support him through November.
Earlier this month, the Cook Political Report redefined the Montana Senate race, in which Tester is running against Republican businessman Tim Sheehy, from “toss up” to “leaning GOP.”
Recent polls show Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who later founded Bozeman-based Bridger Aerospace, has a growing lead over Tester.
“Today we’re making a big change — moving the Montana Senate race from Toss Up to Lean Republican,” Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report wrote earlier this month. “This means Republicans are now an even bigger favorite to regain control of the Senate, regardless of the outcome at the top of the ticket.”
When asked about the poll results, Tester said he felt “really good” about where he was at right now.
“I want to be very clear, that was a poll they were referring to,” Tester said, without specifying the poll. “This is going to be a race based on margin of error.”
He compared the situation to his previous successful campaigns in 2012 and 2018. In 2012, Tester won by a margin of 3.9% and in 2018 he won by a margin of 3.5%.
According to a September voter survey by AARP Research in Montana, Sheehy holds a 6% lead over Tester in a straight-line vote.
An August poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the GOP showed Sheehy with a 7 percent lead. That poll included Libertarian Sid Daoud and then-Green Party candidate Michael Downey.
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
Senator Jon Tester speaks about his First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act during a press conference at Bias Brewing in Kalispell on Friday, Sept. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Senator Jon Tester speaks about his First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act during a press conference at Bias Brewing in Kalispell on Friday, Sept. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Nancy Cronin and Rick Guenther speak with Senator Jon Tester about their recent experiences finding housing in the Flathead Valley during a press conference about Tester’s First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act at Bias Brewing in Kalispell on Friday, Sept. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
