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Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C., January 2024.
CNN
—
Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale will run for Senate in Montana on Friday, in a contentious primary fielding vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Tester against the national Republican Party’s preferred nominee. announced that it had been set.
Rosendale, a member of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus who lost to Tester in 2018, is a retired Navy man who announced his candidacy in June and has already received support from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, led by the Montana senator. He will face off against Special Forces member Tim Sheehy. junior senator Steve Daines;
Mr. Rosendale’s candidacy also goes against the wishes of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is supporting Mr. Sheehy in a race seen as critical to Republican efforts to flip the chamber.
“We’ve made great strides in the House, only to see them disappear in the Senate at the hands of Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer,” Rosendale said Friday, when he formally announced his candidacy. He said this on social media at the time.
Hours later, former President Donald Trump praised Mr. Sheehy as “an American hero and a very successful businessman,” dealing a blow to Mr. Rosendale’s early campaign.
President Trump said on social media: “I also respect Matt Rosendale and have happily supported him in the past. If he decides to change course and run for Congress. will support him again.” “But in this case, Tim is the candidate currently in the best position to defeat Lazy Jon Tester and restore the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.”
Rosendale told CNN’s Abby Phillippe on Friday night that Trump has the former president’s support, saying, “He did a great job when he was president, and he will do a great job when he takes office next year.” I downplayed the fact that it wasn’t there. And I’m going to be a U.S. senator next year and help him pass that agenda. ”
“I’m going to advance in this primary. I have the support of the people who know me best across the state,” he said on “NewsNight.”
Both Sheehy and Rosendale support Trump’s candidacy.
The Montana race will be a test for national Republican leaders, who are taking a more active role in primaries this season than in the past, when flawed candidates sometimes lost seats.
Daines on Friday criticized Rosendale for jumping into the primary, raising concerns about whether the party could flip the seat in November.
“Rather than build seniority in the House of Representatives for our great state, it is unfortunate that Matt chose to relinquish his seat and create a divisive primary,” Daines said in a statement, adding that Sheehy He reiterated his support for the.
“Whichever party wins the Montana Senate seat will control the U.S. Senate in 2024. Republicans risk nominating the candidate who gave Jon Tester the biggest victory of his career. We cannot afford to risk it,” he continued.
Rosendale, who was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, has been a thorn in the side of Republican leadership. He was one of eight House Republicans who voted to fire Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October. He also initially opposed inviting Mr. McCarthy to speak in January 2023, but ultimately voted “yes” on Wednesday, allowing Mr. McCarthy to take the gavel.
Current House Speaker Mike Johnson told several Republican senators on Thursday that he would not support Rosendale for the Senate. The move comes after Mr Johnson faced a swift backlash following reports he was preparing to back his Commons colleague. Mr. Rosendale endorsed Mr. Johnson as a possible speaker last fall.
Tester is seeking a fourth term in the red state and is one of the most vulnerable Democrats seeking re-election in 2024.
His campaign aired positive bio ads on Montana airwaves, educating voters about his agricultural background and commitment to public lands, Second Amendment rights, and defense of the Montanan way of life. I’ve reminded you.
Mr. Tester had more than $11 million in cash at the end of December, according to his latest filing. By contrast, Sheehy had more than $1.2 million in the bank at the end of the year. Rosendale had about $1.7 million in his House campaign fund account as of Dec. 31, and will be able to transfer those funds for use in his Senate campaign.
Rosendale previously served in the Montana Legislature and state auditor. Although he moved to Montana in 2002, the former land developer’s Maryland roots made him a target of Democratic attack in the 2018 Senate race against incumbent Tester, who lost 4 points. He won by less than a margin.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Sen. Steve Daines is a junior senator from Montana. Updated with additional information.
CNN’s Melanie Zanona and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
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