Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana announced he was withdrawing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate just days after launching his campaign, due to former President Donald Trump endorsing a rival candidate.
On the same day Rosendale announced his bid, Trump endorsed retired Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy.
“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.
“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 said as a long-time Trump supporter, he assessed his chances of success against Sheehy with Trump’s backing were low given the resources that endorsement provides.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so,” he said. “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. 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.”
After consulting with Senator Steve Daines about the impact on the party’s chances of regaining Senate control, Rosendale determined the primary fight would be too steep and withdrew from the race.
Daines thanked Rosendale for his service and said unity among Republicans would be needed to defeat the Democratic incumbent, Jon Tester, in November.
“I appreciate Matt’s many years of service to Montana. It will take all Republicans working together to defeat Jon Tester in November,” Daines wrote on X.
Rosendale’s abrupt reversal came due to Trump shifting support to another candidate.
Most Popular:
Cause of Death Released For ‘Rocky’ Movie Star
Supreme Court Audio Suggests Trump Case Is Doomed
