Citing a death threat and “defamatory rumors,” House Republican Matt Rosendale of Montana on Friday abruptly ended his bid for re-election.
Rosendale made the announcement on his MattForMontana campaign account on X.
“For the past 14 years, I have had the honor and privilege of serving the people of Montana through public service,” he wrote to start his statement.
“When I took on the task of running for Congress, I knew, as many of you do, that the system is severely broken and badly in need of reforms,” Rosendale, 63, continued. “Unfortunately, there is immense pressure from those who benefit from the current structure to keep things as they are. And the limited few of us who are willing to try and force true reforms are subject to severe retribution.”
— Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) March 8, 2024
Rosendale’s message came after months of intrigue in Montana. He had announced a bid for the U.S. Senate but dropped out of the race in February.
Rosendale, who is an open Donald Trump supporter, was stung when Trump endorsed his GOP opponent for the Senate, Tim Sheehy.
Trump’s pick of Sheehy has been viewed as an odd choice because the candidate has many non-MAGA tendencies and past positions and actions.
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Rosendale’s message on X continued: “At the onset of this election season, at the urging of many, I announced my candidacy for the U.S. Senate. It became very obvious soon after that announcement that the national support and resources necessary to win that seat were not going to be available to me. I withdrew as soon as possible so as not to jeopardize the opportunity for Republicans to secure that seat and, with it, the majority in the U.S. Senate, which is critical for our country.
“Upon withdrawing from that race, and again at the urging of many, including several of the current candidates, I filed to run for reelection to my current seat.”
But the Montanan went on to report that he and his family have faced serious threats.
“Since that announcement,” Rosendale wrote, “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.
“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.
“So, in the best interest of my family and the community, I am withdrawing from the House race and will not be seeking office. It has been my honor to serve you and may God bless each and every one of you,” Rosendale concluded.
Rosendale has served in the House of Representatives since January 2021 and was re-elected with a nearly 35-percentage-point margin.
He served as a member of the Montana state legislature and was the state auditor before becoming a U.S. representative.
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