Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) was determined to enter Montana’s Senate primary race for months, even after Republicans in Washington had worked to keep him on the sidelines.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Rosendale in the past and even visited Montana repeatedly to stump for the congressman, who ultimately lost by 3.5 percentage points to Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in 2018. There was some hope the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination would boost Rosendale’s campaign once again or stay out of the Montana race completely, according to those familiar with internal discussions.