John,

Before anything else, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being part of this campaign.

People like me don’t usually run for office. I grew up in a twenty-four-by-thirty-six foot house and have lived down a long dirt road outside of Big Sandy all my life. I lost three fingers to a meat-grinding accident when I was a kid. I still farm the same land my grandparents homesteaded more than 100 years ago.

It’s because of those experiences that I wake up every day, ready to go to bat to keep Montana the Last Best Place.

Yesterday morning, I called Senator-elect Tim Sheehy. I congratulated him and told him to work hard for the people of Montana, because it’s really important that Montana has good leadership in Washington, D.C.

This isn’t the outcome we wanted, but I couldn’t be more proud of the race we ran. Montana is the greatest state in the greatest country in the world—and your support helped us showcase that. We stayed focused on the issues and on defending our Montana way of life.

I want to thank my campaign team and Senate staff for their hard work and service to the state of Montana, the countless volunteers and supporters who stepped up to help this campaign.

I want to thank the folks who pounded on doors and talked to their neighbors. That isn’t easy, and it takes someone special to get out and do that work. And thank you to everyone who made phone calls, put up signs, and shared their stories about why this election mattered to them.

I'm very blessed. I've had a great 18 years in the United States Senate. I've met some incredible people along the way and had the opportunity to do some great things to help move this state and the country forward.

The state we love is worth defending—and together, I still believe Montana’s best days are ahead.

For now, I hope you can get some rest, reflect on the incredible work you’ve put in, and continue this fight.

Thank you.

—Jon Tester