Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) has dropped his U.S. Senate bid less than a week after he officially announced it, citing Donald Trump’s endorsement of another candidate for the sudden decision.
“Instead of one of those phony statements from politicians, here’s my statement on why I’m withdrawing my candidacy for the U.S. Senate,” Rosendale said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.
“As everyone knows, I have planned to run for the U.S. Senate and to win both the primary and the general election. However, the day I announced, President Trump then announced that he was endorsing a different candidate.”
Rosendale hinted at an entry into the race for months, but reports from outlets including Politico, who first broke the news, indicate that Rosendale took too long to make a decision. In one Oct. 2023 radio interview he refused to endorse Trump, then hours later backtracked on social platform X. By the time he confirmed his bid last Friday, GOP decision makers had already made up their mind, backing former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Rosendale lost to Tester in 2018.
Trump publicly endorsed Sheehy just hours after Rosendale’s announcement. Tester has also been endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
Rosendale said he had spoken with Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who chairs the NRSC, earlier this week. “We both agree that this is the best path forward for Republicans to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so,” Rosendale added in his statement. “But I have been forced to calculate what my chances of success would be with Trump supporting my opponent. This race was already going to be tough, as I was fighting against Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican establishment in Washington,” Rosendale said. “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 added that the aforementioned, along with a lack of resources, meant “the hill was just too steep.”
Rosendale is unsure if he will run for House re-election and will “prayerfully consider what is next,” despite Trump’s backing for his potential House bid. Rosendale has until March 11 to file.
