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In a race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is attacking his challenger, Republican Tim Sheehy, for his stance on abortion.聽

Montana鈥檚 Senate race is one of a half-dozen tight contests around the country in which Democrats are defending seats needed to keep their one-seat majority. If Republicans flip Tester鈥檚 seat, they could take over the chamber even if they fail to oust Democrats in any other key races.

In a聽聽launched in early September, Tester鈥檚 campaign said Sheehy supports banning abortion with no exceptions.

An ad launched on Sept. 6 said, 鈥淭im Sheehy wants to take away the freedom to choose what happens with your own body, and give that power to politicians. Sheehy would let politicians like him ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or to save a woman鈥檚 life, and criminalize women. We can鈥檛 let Tim Sheehy take our freedom away.鈥�

Sheehy鈥檚 Anti-Abortion Stance Allows for Rape, Health Exceptions

Sheehy鈥檚 website calls him 鈥減roudly pro-life,鈥� and he鈥檚 campaigning against abortion. He聽 on Montana鈥檚 November ballot that would聽 to provide the right to 鈥渕ake and carry out decisions about one鈥檚 own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.鈥�

In July, we rated聽False聽Sheehy鈥檚 statement that Tester and other Democrats have voted for 鈥渆lective abortions up to and including the moment of birth. Healthy, 9-month-year-old baby killed at the moment of birth.鈥�

But contrary to the new ad鈥檚 message, Sheehy has voiced support for exceptions.

In a Montana Public Radio聽, Sheehy was asked, 鈥淵es or no, do you support a federal ban on abortion?鈥澛�

Sheehy said, 鈥淚 am proudly pro-life and support commonsense protections for when a baby can feel pain, as well as exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and I believe any further limits must be left to each state.鈥�

And in a 聽with Tester, Sheehy said, 鈥淚鈥檒l always protect the three rights for women: rape, incest, life of the mother.鈥�

罢丑别听聽of Sheehy鈥檚 campaign website does not say that he has a no-exceptions stance, nor does it say he would 鈥渃riminalize women鈥� who have abortions.

In a statement, the Sheehy campaign told PolitiFact that the ad mischaracterizes Sheehy鈥檚 abortion position. Allowing no exceptions 鈥渉as never been Tim鈥檚 position,鈥� the campaign said.

Our Ruling

The Tester campaign鈥檚 ad says Sheehy 鈥渨ould let politicians like him ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or to save a woman鈥檚 life, and criminalize women.鈥澛�

Sheehy has said he supports abortion ban exceptions for rape or to save a pregnant woman鈥檚 life. We found no instances of him saying he would be OK with states criminalizing women who receive abortions in violation of state laws.

What gives the ad a kernel of truth is that Sheehy has voiced support for letting states decide abortion parameters within their borders. The Tester campaign argues that this means Sheehy would effectively enable legislators to pass abortion restrictions that don鈥檛 include exceptions or that criminalize women.

The Tester campaign鈥檚 argument relies on hypotheticals and ignores Sheehy鈥檚 stated support for exceptions, giving a misleading impression of Sheehy鈥檚 position.

We rate it Mostly False.