BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy acknowledged Monday that derogatory comments he made last year about Native Americans were “insensitive.” But Sheehy rejected his opponent’s call for an apology, during a contentious debate in a race that emerged as crucial for control of the Senate.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Tester had challenged Sheehy last year over comments in which the Republican told a group of laughing supporters about bonding “with all the Indians while they’re drunk” while working cattle on a Crow Indian ranch. Reservation

“Yes, insensitive,” replied Sheehy, a former US Navy SEAL. “I come from the military, like many of our tribe members. You know, we make insensitive jokes and sometimes probably off-color jokes.

Sheehy then tried to focus the discussion on the immigration crisis, but Tester continued to pressure him.

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

“You’re apologizing for opening the border,” Sheehy replied.

The bitter exchange in the final minutes of the debate highlighted the growing tensions between the two campaigns as the battle enters its final stages.

All are seeking support from the state’s small contingent of moderate Republican and Independent voters, who are seen as crucial to victory in November.

Sheehy sharply criticized Tester during the debate for his ties to lobbyists, who have donated more heavily to the Democrat than to any other member of Congress this election cycle, according to the nonpartisan group OpenSecret.

“While I was fighting in Afghanistan. He was eating lobby steak in DC,” Sheehy said.

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

“I want Roe reinstated,” Tester said of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed some states to sharply restrict abortions. “My opponent, on the other hand, thinks the exact opposite. He feels he has more right to make that decision than the women.”

Tester is the last remaining Democrat to hold high office in Montana and the race is on track to be the most expensive in the state’s history. Republican party leaders, including former President Donald Trump hand-picked Sheehy in hopes of overthrowing Tester, a 68-year-old farmer.

Republicans only need to gain two seats in November to gain a majority in the Senate when a new Congress convenes next year. It is generally believed that they have a lock on one West Virginiawhich means Montana can make a difference.

Trump won Montana in 2020 by about 17 percentage points. Capitalizing 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 dissatisfaction with the administration’s struggle to crack down on 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.

In an effort to blunt the attacks, Tester skipped the Democratic National Convention last month, refusing to endorse Harris and avoiding mention of her during the campaign. He pushed back against the government over tougher pollution rules on coal-fired power stations and urged it to do more on immigration.

“Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that President Biden has not done a good job at the southern border,” Tester said Monday.