Congressman Matt Rosendale withdrew his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, less than a week after running, citing former President Donald Trump’s support for his opponent.
The Montana Republican, former president’s supporter and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus has jumped into the fray to challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in the 2024 general election. On the same day, the 77-year-old President Trump announced his support for his biggest opponent, former Navy SEAL and businessman Tim Sheehy.
Trump’s endorsement of Sheehy was a fatal blow to Rosendale’s early campaign.
“I’ve been a supporter of the president for a long time and still am,” Rosendale said. stated in a statement He explained his decision to end his campaign. “But I was forced to calculate what my chances of success would be if President Trump supported my opponent.
“This race is already going to be tough because I was running against Mitch McConnell and the Republican establishment in Washington. But voters don’t agree with their choice of the next senator from Montana. So I felt I could beat them,” he added.
“But by my calculations, with President Trump supporting my opponent and a lack of resources, the hill was too steep.”
Rosendale, 63, said he recently spoke with Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the Senate Republican campaign manager, and they both agreed that “the best path forward is for Republicans to regain the majority.” He explained that they agreed on the same point. He will not challenge Sheehy in the primary for the U.S. Senate.
Rosendale was one of eight Republicans who voted in favor of Democrats expelling former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last October, and is up for re-election to the House this year. is planned.
He appears to have not yet decided whether to seek re-election to Congress.
“Over the next few days, my family and I will return to my home in Montana to pray and reflect on what’s next,” Rosendale concluded in a statement.
Mr. Trump, 77, refrained from attacking Mr. Rosendale in endorsing Mr. Sheehy, saying he “respects” the senator, but said Mr. Sheehy is in the “best position” to defeat Mr. Tester. He explained that he felt that there was.
President Trump said last week, “I respect Matt Rosendale and have been very happy to support him in the past, but if in the future he changes direction and decides to run for Congress, I will support him again if he does.” “But in this case, Tim is the candidate currently in the best position to defeat Lazy Jon Tester and restore the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.”
An Emerson College poll released last October showed Mr. Tester leading Mr. Sheehy by 4 points in the Montana Senate race, within the poll’s margin of error.
