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Tim Sheehy (businessman)

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Tim Sheehy
Sheehy in 2023
Born (1985-11-18) November 18, 1985 (age 38)
Ramsey County, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation(s)Aerial firefighter, businessman
Political partyRepublican
Websitetimformt.com

Timothy Patrick Sheehy (born November 18, 1985)[1] is an American aerial firefighter, businessman, and the Republican nominee for the 2024 United States Senate election in Montana. A former Navy SEAL, he founded Bridger Aerospace in 2013, an aerial firefighting and wildfire management company.[2] In June 2023, Sheehy announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate;[3] he won the Republican nomination and will face three-term incumbent Democrat Jon Tester in the general election.

Early life

Sheehy was born in Ramsey County, Minnesota[1] in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and grew up in a lake house in Shoreview, about 10 miles (16 km) from where he was born.[4] Sheehy attended a private high school in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, graduating in 2004.[4]

Military

After graduating, Sheehy enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy and Army Ranger School. During his time in the Ranger School and the U.S. Navy, he sustained multiple injuries, and has admitted that he has lied about some of the facts relating to his gunshot wounds.[5]

Questions have been raised about whether Sheehy was shot in the arm while in war as he has said. A park ranger stated that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted in Glacier National Park in 2015 and that he was fined for the incident.[6] His fellow soldiers do not remember him mentioning a gunshot wound or seeing a wound at the time in Afghanistan.[7] Sheehy has also said that he parachuted into the Glacier National Park as part of Navy Seal training. The National Park Service and military have stated that the military does not train in the park.[8]

Sheehy was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, presented by Congressman Ryan Zinke.[4]

Bridger Aerospace

Main article: Bridger Aerospace

In 2014, Sheehy founded the company Bridger Aerospace. Headquartered in Belgrade, Montana, it provides aerial firefighting services in 24 states and two Canadian provinces.[9] After founding the company, Sheehy was originally the only pilot, operating one plane and assisting ranchers with tracking cattle.[10] In 2024, Sheehy resigned as CEO in order to focus on his bid for the U.S. Senate in Montana.[11] He wrote the book Mudslingers about being an aerial fire fighter.[12] He has been accused of plagrising different passages in the book.[13]

Politics

See also: 2024 United States Senate election in Montana

In June 2023, Sheehy announced he would be running against incumbent Senator Jon Tester for the Senate in Montana.

He is among the wealthiest candidates running for Senate.[14][15]

In September 2024, Sheehy was recorded expressing racial stereotypes of the Crow people, which he denies.[16][17][18]

Personal life

Sheehy was involved in a 2019 plane crash as a student pilot. The plane, with an instructor onboard, crashed into a house, killing the instructor and injuring an individual on the ground. Sheehy sustained minor injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board after inspecting the plane and interviewing Sheehy, who said he was not flying, determined the instructor's actions led to the crash.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VCZ6-931 : 4 December 2014), Timothy Patrick Sheehy, 18 Nov 1985; from "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing Ramsey, Minnesota, United States, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis.
  2. ^ "Tim Sheehy steps down as CEO of his aerial firefighting company". Montana Public Radio. July 2, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Kimbel-Sannit, Arren (June 27, 2023). "Republican Tim Sheehy launches bid for U.S. Senate". Montana Free Press. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Kimbel-Sannit, Arren (December 5, 2023). "Who was Tim Sheehy before he started running for Senate?". Montana Free Press. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "In key Senate race, Montana's Sheehy faces overlapping messes". MSNBC.com. October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Oladipo, Gloria (October 19, 2024). "Montana park ranger says Senate candidate Tim Sheehy lied about combat wound". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Baker, Mike; Browning, Kellen (October 18, 2024). "A Candidate for U.S. Senate Says He Was Shot in War. Was He?". New York Times.
  8. ^ Szpaller, Keila (August 29, 2024). "National parks, military dispute Sheehy's claim that he parachuted into Glacier • Daily Montanan". Daily Montanan. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Charts". Bridger Aerospace. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Writer, By Abby Lynes Chronicle Staff (September 8, 2019). "Fighting fires and thwarting drones: Belgrade-based sister companies expanding". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  11. ^ Reinhard, Beth; O'Connell, Jonathan (August 11, 2024). "Montana GOP Senate candidate touts his business. It's losing millions". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Pengelly, Martin (September 6, 2024). "Trump-backed Senate candidate's Navy Seal stories not cleared by Pentagon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Ehrlick, Darrell (September 20, 2024). "Problematic prose: Senate candidate Sheehy's book appears to contain four plagiarized portions • Daily Montanan". Daily Montanan. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Turner, Abby (August 13, 2024). "Who's the wealthiest Senate candidate?". National Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  15. ^ Metzger, Bryan (November 2, 2023). "Montana GOP Senate candidate would be in the top 10 richest lawmakers — and his investments are sure to irk some conservatives". Business Insider.
  16. ^ Ehrlick, Darrell (September 20, 2024). "Sheehy doesn't apologize for comments, says recordings chopped up".
  17. ^ Coffin, Jackie (September 16, 2024). "Tribal leaders renew calls for an apology from U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy". Yellowstone Public Radio.
  18. ^ Browning, Kellen (September 3, 2024). "Tim Sheehy Was Recorded Using Racist Stereotypes About Native Americans". The New York Times.
  19. ^ Miller, Blair (September 25, 2024). "Lawsuit filed against Sheehy over Florida plane crash dismissed • Daily Montanan". Daily Montanan. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
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