Rep. Matt Rosendale has suspended his Montana Senate campaign less than a week after launching it.
Mr. Rosendale, Montana Republican, said in a statement to The Washington Times that former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of GOP rival Tim Sheehy, which came just hours after he announced his candidacy last Friday, factored into the calculus of his decision.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so,” Mr. Rosendale said. “But I have been forced to calculate what my chances of success would be with Trump supporting my opponent.”
He said, “This race was already going to be tough, as I was fighting against [Senate Minority Leader] 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.”
His departure from the race leaves a wide-open path for Mr. Sheehy, an aerospace millionaire, to clinch the GOP nomination in the race to unseat longtime Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana.
Though Mr. Rosendale was confident that he could win the primary and rematch with Mr. Tester, Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Mr. Sheehy proved decisive.
“By my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep,” Mr. Rosendale said, adding that he had conferred with Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, chair of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm.
The conservative’s surprise exit, first reported by Politico, puts an end to what would have been a damaging primary battle between Mr. Rosendale and Mr. Sheehy.
It’s unclear whether Mr. Rosendale will run for reelection in his current seat, where state lawmakers have already lined up to be his successor. Montana’s candidate filing deadline is March 11.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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