Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) made the decision not to run for reelection following a tumultuous campaign for U.S. Senate in Montana. This decision was prompted by a concerning death threat against him and the spread of false and defamatory rumors targeting him and his family.
In November, Rosendale, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, briefly entered the GOP primary to challenge Sen. John Tester (D-MT). However, he decided to withdraw from the race shortly after receiving endorsements from Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. His opponent, Tim Sheehy, is an ex-Navy SEAL and aerospace millionaire.
Many on the right slammed Rosendale, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who referred to him online as a “grifter.” In January, she wrote this:
I’m just fed up with back stabbers, liars, and grifters.
Matt Rosendale can not be trusted. He turned his back on Pres Trump and only endorsed him recently because Rosendale is planning to run for Senate AGAIN after already losing last time in the Senate race against John Tester.
I have the same conservative voting record as Matt Rosendale but he’s a grifter. He’s not loyal to the people who have supported him like Pres Trump. He walks around with a military style buzz cut just like John Tester to fool veterans but Rosendale and Tester never even served in the military, unlike Tim Sheehy who was a Navy Seal.
In a statement, Rosendale declared his departure from politics, explaining that he decided to withdraw from the race and run for reelection to his current seat based on the encouragement of many, including several of the current candidates.
“After the announcement, I had to deal with a distressing situation where law enforcement had to visit my children due to a death threat made against me. Additionally, I have faced baseless rumors and defamatory statements against myself and my family. These incidents have had a significant impact on both me and my loved ones,” he concluded.
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.
