Rep. Matt Rosendale Launches Senate Bid, Setting Stage For Ugly GOP Primary

Party leaders have rallied around GOP hopeful Tim Sheehy as best equipped to oust Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). Rosendale just threw a wrench in their plans.

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) on Friday officially launched his bid for the U.S. Senate, giving Republican voters in Montana a second millionaire transplant to choose from in the upcoming June primary.

Rosendale, a hard-right conservative, will face GOP hopeful Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and wealthy businessman, for the opportunity to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November. Tester, who has held the seat since 2007, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection.

In a video announcement, Rosendale said that he’s running “against the Washington establishment, against [President] Joe Biden and [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell.” And he touted his loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

Rosendale, who unsuccessfully ran against Tester in 2018, has been hinting at a second challenge for months. In a video posted to social media in December, he said that he was “heavily considering” running and slammed McConnell and other Senate Republicans for “propping up” Sheehy and trying to keep him out of the race.

“While it is truly an honor and privilege to represent the people of eastern Montana in Congress, it is difficult for me to stand by and allow Mitch McConnell and the uniparty to sell our country short and attempt to select our next senator,” he said.