Possible Kavanaugh Vote Postpones Tester-Rosendale Debate

FILE – In this March 8, 2016, file photo, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Tester is giving President Donald Trump a tongue-in-cheek welcome to Montana by taking out a full-page ad in 14 newspapers thanking the president for signing 16 bills that the Democrat sponsored or co-sponsored. Trump was scheduled to hold a rally Thursday, July 5, 2018, in Great Falls to campaign for Tester’s Republican challenger, State Auditor Matt Rosendale. The president has made the Montana Senate race a priority after he blamed Tester for derailing the nomination of his first Veterans Affairs nominee, White House physician Ronny Jackson. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — The second debate between Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican challenger Matt Rosendale has been postponed so Tester can be in Washington D.C. for a possible weekend vote on embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Tester’s campaign confirmed Thursday that staff are trying to reschedule the debate, which was set to take place in Great Falls on Saturday night.

Republican party leaders set a pivotal preliminary vote on Kavanaugh for Friday morning. If that succeeds, a final roll call in the battle over the conservative jurist was expected Saturday.

Tester has said he will vote against confirming Kavanaugh because of deep concerns about the allegations of sexual assault against the judge. Tester also says Kavanaugh defended the Patriot Act and supports dark money in politics.