Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) announced on March 8 he is not running for reelection.
In a statement, he announced threats against his family as the reason for his decision not to run to keep his seat representing Montana’s Second Congressional District.
“I have been forced to have law enforcement visit my children because of a death threat against me and false and defamatory rumors against me and my family. This has taken a serious toll on me, and my family. Additionally, it has caused a serious disruption to the election of the next representative for MT-02,” he said.
Mr. Rosendale has been in the House since Jan. 3, 2021.
“To me, public service has truly always been about serving, not titles or positions of power. The current attacks have made it impossible for me to focus on my work to serve you,” he said. “So, in the best interest of my family and the community, I am withdrawing from the House race and will not be seeking office.”
Mr. Rosendale announced on Feb. 28 that he has filed to run for reelection to his House seat. This came after initially entering, then almost immediately, withdrawing from the Senate race to challenge incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who defeated Mr. Rosendale in 2018. Wealthy businessman Tim Sheehy is the GOP favorite to take on Mr. Tester in November and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
“As everyone knows, I have planned to run for the U.S. Senate and to win both the primary and the general election,” Mr. Rosendale said in a statement.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so. But I have been forced to calculate what my chances of success would be with Trump supporting my opponent,” he added.
Mr. Rosendale said he had spoken to Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and they both agreed “that this is the best path forward for Republicans to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate.”
“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,” the Montana Republican 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. However, by my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep,” he added.
Mr. Rosendale had previously criticized Mr. Sheehy for donating to former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s political action committee in March 2021, almost two years before she launched her campaign for president.
President Trump said that while he has “respect” for Mr. Rosendale, he believes that Mr. Sheehy is “currently best-positioned” to regain the Republican majority in the Senate.
“Tim Sheehy is an American Hero and highly successful Businessman from the Great State of Montana,” the former president stated on Truth Social on Feb. 10.
“I also respect Matt Rosendale, and was very happy to endorse him in the past, and will endorse him again in the future should he decide to change course and run for his congressional seat.
“But in this instance, Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate,” he added.
President Trump also offered his “complete and total endorsement” to Mr. Sheehy.
“Tim is a Political Outsider, Strong on the Border, the Military/Vets, and our constantly under siege Second Amendment. He will stand tall in the fight against the Radical Left Democrats, who are Destroying our Country,” he stated.
Mr. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who now owns an aerial firefighting company with extensive government contracts, is a political newcomer backed by Mr. McConnell and Mr. Daines.
Republicans in Washington had worked to keep Mr. Rosendale on the sidelines, with leading members of the party supporting Mr. Sheehy as the party’s best chance to unseat Mr. Tester.
Finally, Mr. Rosendale was one of eight Republicans to join all Democrats in ousting former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker of the House.
Aldgra Fredly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
