Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana gave two reasons as to why he won’t endorse a presidential candidate, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who is set to accept the nomination tonight at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Tester, who faces a contentious battle for Montana’s Senate seat against Donald Trump-backed Republican Tim Sheehy, didn’t attend the DNC. Instead, he opted to campaign in his home state. Tester is a three-term, moderate senator. His opponent, Sheehy, is a former Navy SEAL and an entrepreneur.

“I’m not going to endorse for the presidential and I will tell you why, because two reasons,” Tester said during a press conference in Hamilton, Montana on Thursday, according to The Independent Record of Helena. “No. 1, I’m focused on my race. And No. 2, folks want to nationalize this race, and this isn’t about national politics, this is about Montana. It’s about making sure we have a Montanan back in Washington, D.C., representing Montana values. And so that’s why,” the local outlet reported.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) speaks with reporters inside the U.S. Capitol Building on February 27, 2024 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) speaks with reporters inside the U.S. Capitol Building on February 27, 2024 in Washington, DC.
AFP/Getty Images

The Cook Political Report marks Montana’s race as a “toss up,” and aggregate polls, such as The Hill show a close race, with Sheehy leading Tester by a 2-percentage point margin.

Newsweek reached out to Tester’s campaign for comment and confirmation via email on Thursday night.

Follow Newsweek‘s live DNC blog for updates here.

This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.