Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale ends short-lived Montana Senate bid after Trump endorses rival
Rep. Matt Rosendale on Thursday withdrew his candidacy for the US Senate less than a week after entering the race, citing former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of his opponent.
The Montana Republican, a supporter of the ex-president and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, had jumped in the fray to challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in the 2024 general election — on the same day that Trump, 77, announced his support for his primary opponent, former Navy SEAL and businessman Tim Sheehy.
Trump’s support for Sheehy proved to be a deathblow for Rosendale’s nascent campaign.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so,” Rosendale said in a statement explaining his decision to end his campaign. “But I have been forced to calculate what my chances of success would be with Trump supporting my opponent.
“This race was already going to be tough, as I was fighting against Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican establishment in Washington. But I felt like I could beat them, as the voters do not agree with them choosing who would be the next US senator from Montana,” he added.
“However, by my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep.”
Rosendale, 63, explained that he recently spoke to Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the head of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, and they both agreed that “the best path forward for Republicans to regain the majority in the US Senate” would be for him to not challenge Sheehy in the primary.
Rosendale, one of the eight GOP lawmakers that voted with Democrats to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last October, is also up for re-election this year in the House.
It doesn’t appear as though he’s made up his mind on whether to seek another term in Congress.
“Over the next few days I will be back home in Montana with my family and will prayerfully consider what is next,” Rosendale’s statement concluded.
Trump, 77, refrained from attacking Rosendale in his endorsement of Sheehy, explaining that while he has “respect” for the congressman, he feels Sheehy is “best-positioned” to beat Tester.
“I also respect Matt Rosendale, and was very happy to Endorse him in the past – and will Endorse him again in the future should he decide to change course and run for his Congressional Seat,” Trump said last week. “But in this instance, Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and Regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate.”
An Emerson College Polling survey released last October found Tester leading Sheehy in the Montana Senate race by 4 points, within the poll’s margin of error.