Rosendale announces he will seek re-election to Montana’s 2nd Congressional District seat

U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana,leaves a candidate forum with House Republicans to hear from members running for U.S. Speaker of House in the Longworth House Office Building on Oct. 10, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Joe Raedle | Getty Images)

Congressman Matt Rosendale announced Wednesday he will indeed seek re-election to his eastern Montana seat following a whirlwind couple of weeks in which he announced a U.S. Senate run and dropped out six days later when former President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent in the Republican primary.

“Over the last few days, I have been humbled by the outpouring of support I have received to run for Montana’s 2^nd Congressional District so we can continue our work to cut spending, secure the border, and restore America’s energy dominance,” Rosendale said in a statement. “At the urging of my family, friends, constituents, and President Trump, I announce my intention to seek re-election.”

Eastern Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale announced Wednesday he was running for re-election. (Screenshot via X)

Rosendale also endorsed Tim Sheehy, who for nearly a week was officially his opponent in the Republican U.S. Senate primary. Hours after Rosendale announced his Senate run, Trump endorsed Sheehy but said he would back Rosendale if he chose to run for re-election to the House.

Rosendale said in his re-election announcement that he supports Trump’s bid for the White House and the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s effort to push Sheehy toward victory over three-term incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in November as Republicans try to re-gain the Senate majority.

“This election, Republicans across the Treasure State must be reminded of our mission: Defeating Jon Tester and taking back the U.S. Senate,” Rosendale said. “… To do that, we must unify as a party. I am supporting Tim Sheehy as our party’s nominee so we can rally together to defeat Jon Tester and take back the U.S. Senate.”

Sheehy said in a statement he appreciated Rosendale’s support and looked forward to working together.

“It’s time to unite and win back the White House, retake the Senate, and expand our House majority. It’s time to save America!” Sheehy said in a social media post.

A spokesperson for Tester’s campaign declined to comment on the statements from Rosendale and Sheehy. The state Democratic Party issued a news release showing all the statements Rosendale had made recently attacking Sheehy.

Rosendale sailed to victory in both the primary and general election in 2022 for the 2^nd Congressional District seat, taking home 57% of the vote that November and winning more than 70,000 more votes than the runner-up.

But this year, there are a host of Republicans who got into the congressional race either to try to oust Rosendale, or as was the case with many of them, in the event that Rosendale ran for Senate.

They include former six-term Congressman Denny Rehberg; State Auditor Troy Downing; current Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Elsie Arntzen; former state lawmakers Joel Krautter, Ed Walker, and Ric Holden; current state Sen. Ken Bogner; and several others.

According to Rosendale’s statements during the past month, he had been pressured by Montana’s Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, who chairs the NRSC for this cycle, to stay out of the Senate race. Rosendale said he had spoken with Daines again the week he dropped out of that race.

Some Republicans who attended the state party’s 2024 kick-off event were vocally disappointed that Rosendale’s bid for the Senate had run into opposition from what they called the “establishment” Republicans – including Daines, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Gov. Greg Gianforte, and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke.

Congressman Matt Rosendale speaks at the Montana GOP’s 2024 kickoff event on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Helena a day after announcing his U.S. Senate campaign. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Rosendale said when he dropped out of the race the next week that Trump’s endorsement of Sheehy was too steep a hill to overcome, particularly financially, as Sheehy has the backing of the NRSC and the ability to self-fund portions of his campaign.

Daines said he appreciated Rosendale’s service to Montana after Rosendale dropped out of the Senate race and said it would take “all Republicans working together to defeat Jon Tester in November.”

Rosendale again amended his candidacy filings with the Federal Election Commission during the weekend to put his committee back in the House race, but he had not formally filed with the Secretary of State as of late Wednesday morning.

His campaign has also denied affair rumors swirling in the past week, and the campaign on Tuesday sent former Democratic North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who had mentioned the rumor on a podcast, a letter telling her to cease making those statements and threatening further legal action, KULR reported. However, no evidence of the rumor has been substantiated.

In a crowded Republican primary field, Rosendale’s name recognition and profile — which has only increased among MAGA voters who support Rosendale’s and the Freedom Caucus’ efforts to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and usher in more right-wing policies — will be a factor his opponents will have to overcome.

He also started the year with $1.6 million in his bank account, before he made several fundraising stops with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, and announced his Senate candidacy, though he only raised $92,000 in the final quarter of 2023.

His Republican opponents in the primary had far less in cash on hand, but some have matched his fourth-quarter fundraising. Downing started the year with nearly $300,000 in cash on hand; Arntzen had $118,000, and Ed Walker had $74,000 in cash after raising more than $100,000 in the last quarter of the year.

A third Democrat also hopped into the 2^nd Congressional District primary this week, joining Kev Hamm and Ming Cabrera. Steve Held, a rancher who lives near Broadus whose daughter, Rikki Held, is the lead plaintiff in the case that affirmed regulating greenhouse gases was part of the state constitution’s mission to ensure Montanans’ right to a clean and healthful environment, filed his candidacy paperwork this week with the Secretary of State and Federal Election Commission.

Candidates in Montana have until March 11 to officially file to run for office. Montana’s primary is scheduled for June 4.

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