Tim Sheehy defeats Jon Tester in Montana Senate race, NBC News projects

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana lost his re-election bid to businessman Tim Sheehy, NBC News reports.

Tester, the rare Democrat to represent a red state, served three terms after earning a reputation as a moderate Democrat with long ties to Montana. But his folksy persona, which includes a flat haircut and three missing fingers due to a childhood meat grinder accident, wasn't enough to overcome the strong partisan headwinds of a divisive presidential election that put Donald Trump back in the White House on a split-ticket ticket. Voting has become less common in American politics.

Sheehy, a Minnesota native who moved to Montana to start an aerial firefighting business, was endorsed by Trump in the Republican primary, causing his primary opponent, Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, to drop out soon after.

Trump also campaigned for Sheehy in August, a rare stop in a four-voter state that has favored the Republican presidential candidate since 1996. The campaign stop appears to have worked, however, as polls show that Sheehy was ahead at the time, despite questions over his claim that he had been shot in Afghanistan.

Sheehy also appears to have benefited from the changing political environment in Montana, which has become increasingly nationalized and has pushed moderates of both parties into the background. Tester's advantage as a Montana native and former state lawmaker was not enough to break through national partisanship.

Tester was one of a few senators whose states reliably voted for the other party's presidential nominee, along with outgoing Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a former Democrat now registered as an independent, and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine . The loss means Democrats will have an even harder time winning control of the Senate in future elections.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.