U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana will face Republican Tim Sheehy in Monday night's debate

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Montana Tim Sheehy admitted on Monday that derogatory remark The words he made last year about Native Americans were “insensitive.” But Sheehy rejected his opponent's calls to apologize during a contentious debate in a race that turned out to be crucial for control of the Senate.

Three-term incumbent U.S. Senator Jon Tester had challenged Sheehy last year over comments in which the Republican told a group of laughing supporters that he was “hooking up with all the Indians while they're drunk” while doing cattle work on a ranch on the Crow Indian Reservation

“Yes, insensitive,” replied Sheehy, a former US Navy SEAL. “I come from the military, like many of our tribal members. You know, we make insensitive jokes and sometimes jokes that are unpleasant.”

Sheehy then tried to steer the discussion to the immigration crisis, but Tester continued to press him.

“Tim, the statement you made demeans Native Americans in this country,” Tester said. “You’re a big guy, just apologize.”

“They apologize for opening the border,” Sheehy replied.

The bitter exchange during the final minutes of the debate underscored the growing tensions between the two campaigns as the contest enters its final stages. They are all vying for the support of a small group of moderate Republican and independent voters in the state who are seen as crucial to victory in November.

Sheehy sharply criticized Tester Connections to lobbyistswho have donated more to the Democrat than to any other member of Congress this election cycle, according to the nonpartisan group OpenSecrets.

“While I was fighting in Afghanistan, he was eating lobbyist steak in Washington,” Sheehy said.

Tester, in turn, accused Sheehy of wanting to ban abortion, even though the Democrat tied his own campaign to a voter initiative that would enshrine abortion as a right in the state constitution.

“I want to see Roe reinstated,” Tester said of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed some states to severely restrict abortions. “My opponent, on the other hand, feels exactly the opposite. He feels more entitled to make this decision than the women.”

Tester is the last remaining Democrat holding high office in Montana, and the race is expected to be the most expensive in the state's history. Republican Party leaders, including former President Donald Trump handpicked Sheehy in hopes of toppling Tester, a 68-year-old farmer.

Republicans only need to gain two seats in November to win the Senate majority when a new Congress convenes next year. They are generally believed to have a castle West Virginiawhich means Montana could make the difference.

According to U.S. Census data, Montana has seven Indian reservations and nearly 70,000 Native Americans, making up about 7% of the total population. It is a voting bloc that has long been considered democratic. Republicans in Montana have courted tribal leaders in recent years, hoping to win their support in elections.

Tribal leaders were highly critical of Sheehy's derogatory comments about Native Americans that appeared in audio recordings released by Char Koosta newsthe official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Sheehy did not respond when the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council asked him for an apology in early September. The council represents 11 tribes and First Nations in the United States and Canada.

Sheehy later downplayed the comments during an interview with Fox News, in which he suggested that the audio came from “years ago” and had been edited to sound “like someone I'm not.” However, he did not deny the authenticity of the recordings on Monday.

Trump won Montana by about 17 percentage points in 2020. To capitalize on the former president's popularity in the state, Sheehy has often tried to lump Tester in with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican's goal is to highlight public discontent over the administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration at the southern border.

“Democrats on the Hill refused to hold the government accountable for the largest mass migration in the history of this country,” Sheehy said in response to a debate question about the border.

To soften the attacks, Tester skipped the Democratic convention last month, declined to endorse Harris and avoided mentioning her on the campaign trail. He opposed the government's tightening pollution regulations for coal-fired power plants and urged it to do more to combat immigration.

“Look, I'll be the first to tell you that President Biden hasn't done a good job on the southern border,” Tester said Monday.