GOP Congressman Won’t Seek Reelection Following Death Threat

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said he won’t seek reelection for a third term.

Rosendale cited a “death threat” and “false and defamatory rumors” in an announcement posted to X.

The Montana Republican recently withdrew his bid for the U.S. Senate less than a week after launching his campaign.

“Since that announcement, 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,” Rosendale said.

“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,” he continued.

pic.twitter.com/O0bRpAlKoN

— Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) March 8, 2024

NBC News reports:

It’s the second surprise announcement from Rosendale in three weeks. Last month, he ended his campaign for a Senate seat less than a week after launching it. Rosendale faced a potentially brutal Republican primary in that race against aerospace entrepreneur Tim Sheehy, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Trump advisers and allies had been frustrated with Rosendale, who they believed had not been sufficiently loyal, and made that clear before he entered the contest.

“This race was already going to be tough, as I was fighting against [Senate GOP Leader] Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican establishment in Washington,” Rosendale said when he dropped out of the Senate race Feb. 15. “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.”

“However,” Rosendale added, “by my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep.”

In his Friday announcement, Rosendale said he made the decision to file for re-election to his House seat “at the urging of many, including several of the current candidates.”

BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Matt Rosendale announced on his official campaign X account that he is withdrawing from U.S. House race and will not be seeking office. https://t.co/7oOtPPt5KK

— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) March 8, 2024

BREAKING: GOP Rep. Makes Surprise Retirement Announcementhttps://t.co/DEhZERimwI

— Dinesh D’Souza (@DineshDSouza) March 8, 2024

From the Associated Press:

In Washington, Rosendale has been among the House’s most hard-right conservatives and a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He banded with seven other members of his party in October to oust Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

He also supports Trump, voted against certifying the 2020 election, and cosponsored legislation with Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz to defund Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s alleged storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

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Montana voters elected Rosendale, a native of Maryland, to the House in 2020 and again two years ago by wide margins. His decision to bow out comes after numerous Republicans jumped into the contest when it was presumed Rosendale wouldn’t seek a third term.

Among them are former U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, Montana state Auditor Troy Downing and Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, who had said she would run only if Rosendale did not.

Democrats have struggled to gain a foothold in the district since it was redrawn for the 2022 election when Montana gained a second congressional seat due to its growing population. The party’s nominee that year, former state lawmaker Penny Ronning, finished third in the general election with just 20% of the vote, behind Rosendale and Independent Gary Buchanan.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.