Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale, a right-wing candidate vying for the state's contested Senate seat this year, is withdrawing from the Republican primary, he said in a statement Thursday.
He announced his withdrawal less than a week after officially joining the race. Just hours after launching his campaign, former President Donald J. Trump endorsed Rosendale's primary opponent, businessman and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy. Rosendale was struggling to find a way forward as the party establishment sided with Sheehy and Trump endorsed him.
“By my calculations, the hill was too steep given Trump's support for his opponent and lack of resources,” Rosendale said in a statement, adding that his fellow Republicans in the state He added that he spoke with Sen. Steve Daines. He is in charge of the Senate Republican Party's re-election efforts. “We both agree that this is the best path for Republicans to regain a majority in the U.S. Senate.”
News of Rosendale's resignation was first reported by Politico. Mr. Rosendale declined to say whether he would support Mr. Sheehy. The news makes Mr. Sheehy the front-runner for the nomination, and he will face popular but vulnerable Democratic incumbent Jon Tester in November.
It would also give Republicans a further boost in their efforts to regain control of the closely divided Senate. With a painful primary battle in the bud, Republicans can unite behind Mr. Sheehy and focus on ousting Mr. Tester in the fall. His seat, in a deep red state, is on the Senate map alongside Democratic incumbents in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada, as well as the Arizona seat held by Democratic independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It is considered one of the most vulnerable seats in the country. She has not yet said whether she will run for re-election. The retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin in deep-red West Virginia gives Republicans another seat.
Then last week, Maryland got some good news, with the popular Republican Gov. Larry Hogan announcing he would run for the state's open Senate seat, potentially increasing his chances even further.
In Montana, both traditional establishment and pro-Trump Republicans are placing greater emphasis on Mr. Rosendale's bid to avoid a repeat of 2018, when he lost the general election to Mr. Tester by 3 percentage points. Mr. Sheehy has been working hard to promote Mr. Sheehy. A likable, moderate candidate. Rosendale supports a complete ban on abortion and voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Top Republicans from across the party, including Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of Mr. Super PACs and donors gave Mr. Sheehy money, and he supported Mr. Sheehy. Rosendale said on a podcast last month that Daines pressured him not to enter the race.
The Montana Democratic Party ran ads that appeared to tout Rosendale's conservative credentials. This could be a repeat of the controversial strategy Democrats used in 2022, calculating that it would be easier for hard-line right-wing candidates to win in the Republican primary. opponent in the general election.
Still, Mr. Rosendale maintained goodwill among the pro-Trump wing of the party and entered the race this month. Just hours later, Mr. Trump announced his support for Mr. Sheehy, a move that seemed to end Mr. Rosendale's candidacy.
Mr. Sheehy expressed his gratitude as follows: Post to X Thursday, after his rival told Rosendale to decline, telling Montana, “Thank you for your service.” Daines echoed that sentiment in a statement, writing, “It will take all Republicans working together to defeat Jon Tester in November.”
Michael C. Bender Contributed to the report.
