On Feb. 9, Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana announced his Senate campaign against Democrat Sen. Jon Tester.
Rosendale saw former President Donald Trump endorse one of his primary challengers just hours later.
And after less than a week, Rosendale suspended his bid rather than compete with a Trump-endorsed opponent in the primary.
Rosendale attributed his decision to Trump’s actions and to fundraising issues. “By my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep,” Rosendale said in a statement.
Trump wasn’t alone. Several prominent conservatives have backed Tim Sheehy’s primary campaign.
Republicans hope to flip the Senate by targeting red-state Democrats, from Jon Tester in Montana to Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Now, the field has cleared for Sheehy ahead of the state’s June 4 primary.
By dropping out, Rosendale nixed the possibility of a messy primary, although former State Secretary Brad Johnson is still running in the GOP’s Senate primary.
Montana Democrats were counting on an ugly primary to distract conservative voters. Now, the Democrats are panicking.
“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,” Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Sheila Hogan told the Associated Press on Thursday.
Sheehy began his public service career as a Navy SEAL, and he now owns an aerial firefighting company with extensive government contracts. A newcomer to elected office, Sheehy boasts endorsements from Gov. Greg Gianforte, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Montana Sen. Steve Daines (who is chair of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm).
By contrast, Rosendale has amassed a long, controversial in the House. He stirred concerns about his electability by voting against certifying the results of the 2020 election. In fact, Rosendale already lost to Tester once, in 2018.
Rosendale has tried projecting a more electable image since then. He even netted some endorsements from colleagues, like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
“I’ve won two elections since then [since 2018],” Rosendal told reporters on Feb. 9, amid his campaign announcement. “And the most important thing is that my name ID and my trust factor is elevated dramatically. People know who I am.”
Apparently, Rosendale failed to convince Trump.
Rosendale has yet to announce a run for re-election to the House. Several other Republicans have announced primary campaigns in Rosendale’s district, rated R+16.
Republicans in the state legislature introduced a bill to adopt runoff elections. In 2018, some conservatives blamed third-party candidates for spoiling their prospects to unseat Tester, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Montana.
Take a look at Rosendale’s remarks —
Started Day 2 of the #TruthTour with @mattgaetz in Townsend this morning.
Folks in Townsend are tired of business as usual in Washington, and I will always fight for them! pic.twitter.com/IAVwFk5Ukx
— Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) January 27, 2024
Mitch McConnell and the Uniparty have controlled the Senate for far too long and are the architects of a $34 trillion debt.
It’s time they understand that Montanans don’t take orders from Washington, we send orders to Washington! pic.twitter.com/cUoK9P4aV5
— Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) February 9, 2024
— Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) February 16, 2024
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.