3 Republicans Eye Montana Senate Seat

It looks like Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester [pictured] will have stiff competition in his 2012 re-election campaign. Three Republicans are considering a challenge, with Rep. Denny Rehberg viewed as the strongest potential candidate, Roll Call reports.

Steve Daines, the 2008 lieutenant governor nominee, says he’s considering a run, and Republicans in the state expect him to announce formally this weekend. Neil Livingstone, a national security and terrorism expert, also is weighing a bid. He tells Roll Call he has “great concern about the way the country is going, so I’m taking a serious look at it.”

A Rehberg spokesman says he’s not thinking about a possible Senate bid at this point. But Republican insiders say Rehberg, who represents the entire state in an at-large district, is the favorite.