Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale has ended his candidacy for the Senate after launching his campaign last Friday.
Rosendale's withdrawal from the Senate race follows former President Donald Trump's endorsement of returned U.S. Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy for the seat hours after Rosendale announced his campaign.
The Montana representative confirmed he was ending his campaign in a statement to POLITICO.
“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," he added.
“I have long been a supporter of the president, and remain so,” Rosendale continued. “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.” “By my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep,” Rosendale added.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Steve Daines had initially proposed Sheehy as a contender for Montana's Senate seat to Trump and reportedly urged Rosendale not to launch a campaign.
Daines said he appreciated Rosendale's service to Montana, though insisted it would be a tough battle to defeat Democratic challenger Jon Tester this November.
“I spoke with Sen. Daines earlier this week and we both agree that this is the best path forward for Republicans to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate,” Rosendale said of his conversation with Daines.
The Montana representative made waves among Republicans last year after voting along with seven other House Republicans in favor of removing then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy — the first Speaker to be removed in United States history.
Rosendale has not indicated if he will seek re-election in the House, though said he will "prayerfully consider what is next."
Trump has indicated he would support Rosendale's efforts for re-election in Congress.
