Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) dropped his bid for Montana Senate on Thursday, less than a week after announcing a run, claiming he did not have a path forward after former President Donald Trump endorsed his primary opponent, Tim Sheehy.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so. But, I have been forced to calculate what my chances of success would be with Trump supporting my opponent,” Rosendale said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. “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 U.S. Senator from Montana.”
Rosendale concluded that he could not overcome Trump’s endorsement of Sheehy and made his decision in consultation with Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“I spoke with Sen. Daines earlier this week and we both agree that this is the best path forward for Republicans to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate,” Rosendale added.
“I appreciate Matt’s many years of service to Montana,” Daines, the NRSC chairman, said. “It will take all Republicans working together to defeat Jon Tester in November.”
The conservative congressman had been testing the waters and had been publicly teasing a campaign for months. He announced his Senate run Friday, entering a primary to eventually take on vulnerable incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), a Democrat he previously lost to by 3 points in 2018.
His failed run fueled concerns from national Republicans over his viability in another general election race, and GOP leadership had coalesced around Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL. Rosendale’s entrance into the race defied the wishes of national Republicans who hoped to avoid a bitter primary in the must-win state. It’s still unclear what caused the shift.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) confirmed earlier on Thursday that he would be involved in the Senate Republican primary in Montana to help Sheehy, according to reporting from the Hill. Trump announced his endorsement for Sheehy hours after Rosendale entered the race.
As recently as Thursday afternoon, Rosendale’s campaign was active, including reaching out to the Washington Examiner to clarify the congressman’s position on an unrelated story. Hours later, the source associated with the campaign confirmed Politico’s reporting that Rosendale had decided to suspend his campaign, news that was not anticipated hours earlier.
A veterans outside group launched a seven-figure television and digital ad buy in the state on Thursday, slamming the congressman’s record on veterans issues while in Congress. Outside groups had already made early ad reservations in Montana, where Tester is facing what could be his most difficult reelection campaign yet in a state former President Donald Trump easily won twice.
Republicans see Montana as a promising opportunity to win back the Senate majority, a task that looked more optimistic Thursday after Rosendale left the primary race.
Democrats and the independents who caucus with them hold 51 seats in the chamber. Of the Senate Democrats up for reelection, seven are in states that went for Trump in 2016, 2020, or both. There are no Republican seats up in states won by either Hillary Clinton in 2016 or President Joe Biden in 2020.
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Now that Sheehy is no longer facing a primary, Montana Democrats sought to highlight what they believe are his vulnerabilities.
“Rosendale spent months making the case that Tim Sheehy has no place representing Montana in the Senate and he was right: Sheehy is an out-of-state tech millionaire completely out of touch with Montana’s way of life,” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Sheila Hogan in a statement.
