In a surprising turn of events, Montana Representative Matt Rosendale has withdrawn from the Senate race, less than a week after announcing his candidacy. The decision comes in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rosendale’s Republican primary opponent.
“I have always been a staunch supporter of the former President and continue to be so. However, I had to realistically assess my chances of success given Trump’s endorsement of my opponent,” Rosendale stated on Thursday. He further added that the combination of limited resources and Trump’s endorsement made the challenge insurmountable.
Rosendale’s announcement came just hours after Trump endorsed retired Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who enjoys the support of several influential Republicans, in the race against Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Despite endorsing Sheehy, Trump expressed his willingness to support Rosendale if he chose to run for reelection in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District.
While Rosendale did not clarify his future political plans, several prominent Montana Republicans have already expressed interest in his deep-red House seat. Politico was the first to report Rosendale’s decision to withdraw from the Senate race.
With Rosendale stepping down, the Republican party avoids a potentially divisive primary. Several Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Montana Senator Steve Daines, have thrown their support behind Sheehy as the party aims to regain control of the Senate in the upcoming November elections.
Montana, along with West Virginia and Ohio, is one of the three Senate seats Democrats are defending in states that Trump won twice. Rosendale’s candidacy had raised concerns among Republicans that his hard-line stance and previous loss to Tester in 2018 could jeopardize their chances of winning the seat in November.
Rosendale, who was first elected to the House in 2020, has previously served in the Montana Legislature and as state auditor. Despite moving to Montana in 2002, his Maryland roots were a frequent target of Democratic attacks during his 2018 race against Tester, which he lost by a narrow margin.
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Rashard Rose, Shania Shelton, Annie Grayer, and Simone Pathe.