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You are here: Home / Open Threads / News from Montana – Let. Them. Fight.

News from Montana – Let. Them. Fight.

by | 31 Comments

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I heard from our friends at Four Directions today, who wanted to bring this to our attention.

Right-Wing Congressman to Run for Senate in Montana, Igniting G.O.P. Fight (New York Times)

As Republicans try to take down Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat, and win back control of the chamber, Representative Matt Rosendale is set to enter the race and start a primary clash.

Some excerpts:

Representative Matt Rosendale of Montana is expected to announce a campaign for Senate as soon as this weekend, torching plans from top Republican officials to avoid a bruising primary battle in a state that many in the party view as their best chance to win back control of the chamber.

Mr. Rosendale, an anti-abortion Republican agitator who voted to overturn the 2020 election.

Awaiting the results of the Republican primary is Senator Jon Tester of Montana, a Democrat seeking his fourth term. Mr. Tester is a top target for Republicans given Montana’s deep-red political complexion: Former President Donald J. Trump won the state by more than 16 percentage points in 2020.

More traditional Republican leaders in Washington are pushing the already-announced candidacy of Tim Sheehy, a wealthy businessman seen as a more palatable choice for moderate voters in the general election.

A coterie of powerful Republican super PACs and some of the party’s biggest donors are pouring money behind Mr. Sheehy, who was quick to endorse Mr. Trump’s 2024 presidential bid and campaigned for him during the Iowa caucuses last month.

But Mr. Rosendale, who has long coveted a Senate seat, hasn’t flinched in the face of an intense flex from both sides of the Republican establishment — the deep-pocketed Reagan-era traditionalists as well as the new class of consultants and elected officials who have risen to power alongside Mr. Trump.

To win the nomination, Mr. Rosendale — who in addition to voting to reverse the 2020 results, has voiced support for banning abortion without exceptions — is banking on his own reservoir of good will inside MAGA Nation as well as a base of conservative support in Montana.

Mr. Rosendale, 63, has become a well-known figure in Montana after two state legislative races, four statewide campaigns and most recently a U.S. House contest in 2022. In those seven campaigns over 12 years, Mr. Rosendale has won five contests and lost two.

One of those losses, notably, was his failed bid in 2018 to win the same Senate seat he wants now. Mr. Rosendale finished three points behind Mr. Tester in that race after narrowly winning the primary with 34 percent of the vote.
But that Senate bid strengthened his relationship with Mr. Trump, who as president made multiple trips to Montana in 2018 to campaign with Mr. Rosendale, even though he had initially backed Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the 2016 presidential primary.

While Mr. Trump remains on the sideline in Montana, Mr. Rosendale been polishing his own America First credentials, in part by hiring Caroline Wren, a longtime Trump fund-raiser who is expected to serve as a key adviser for his Senate campaign.

Last month, Mr. Rosendale hosted a series of campaign-style events in Montana with Representative Matt Gaetz, a provocative and scandal-prone Floridian who maintains close ties to Mar-a-Lago.

Mr. Rosendale and Mr. Gaetz were part of the small band of Republicans who dethroned Representative Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, temporarily shutting down business in the chamber. Mr. Rosendale had objected to installing Mr. McCarthy in the role in the first place, appearing to brush off a phone call on the House floor from Mr. Trump, who had rung up Ms. Greene to urge his support.

Mr. Rosendale also has the backing of Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump White House strategist who is planning a blitz of campaign events in Montana next month. Mr. Rosendale has been a frequent guest on Mr. Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, which is popular with conservatives and has often spread misinformation.

Mr. Rosendale entered 2024 with $1.7 million in his federal campaign account. That’s about 40 percent of what he spent against Mr. Tester six years ago, but a small fraction of the money that is expected to go into the effort to nominate Mr. Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL who founded an aerial firefighting company.

Let. Them. Fight.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

31Comments

  1. 1.

    Alison Rose

    which is popular with conservatives and has often spread misinformation.

    Trust the Times to always put things mildly when it comes to the right wing.

  2. 2.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Alison Rose:

    Yes — although I do admire the understated elegance of the description of Matt Gaetz:

    a provocative and scandal-prone Floridian

    LOL, perfect, should be rotating tag.

  3. 3.

    sab

    I gave to Four Directions and landed on the Tester solicitation list. I don’t mind at all- his text solicitations are beyond polite and not too frequent.

  4. 4.

    wjca

    So, another opportunity to spend money they don’t have on something besides the general election.  I wonder if either GOP candidate would be interested in some floral arrangements….

  5. 5.

    teezyskeezy

    So like Biden did a speech tonight addressing the biggest news of the day and everyone is just…not talking about it. Why? Because he made a flub? He’s been flubbing for 30 years, and we retreat now? Honestly, seeing his speech myself tonight, I loved it,  I thought he was on fire, was going nuclear, naming names, and only needed us to support him and…no one is talking about it though.  This tells me something.

    I think we should be unabashedly rallying around the man.  EDIT: Not sarcasm, I believe in winning and we should be rallying around our pretty good Pres right now especially after that shit SC report.

  6. 6.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Alison Rose:

    Mr. Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, which is popular with conservatives and has often spread misinformation.

    Hey FTFNYT, just like you!

  9. 9.

    Jay

    @Yutsano:

    hard to tell, is it the DOJ hack job about President Joe Biden being oooooold and can’t remember word for word his DOJ interviews from 2012 and 2009,

    Or is it how he mentioned a dead EU Leader, rather than a current EU leader?

  10. 10.

    mrmoshpotato

    @SiubhanDuinne: “Provocative” and “scandal-prone” are doing some spectacular lying there, because they come nowhere close to what a scumbag that alledged pedo is.

  17. 17.

    Jackie

    @H.E.Wolf: From your link:

    The primary will test Donald Trump to the hilt. Will he endorse someone (Rosendale) who praises him to the moon, claims the 2020 election was stolen from him, and is everything he might want in a candidate, except he probably can’t win? Or will he endorse the moderate Sheehy, who is not a true believer at all?

    Let’s cross all fingers and toes that ego and flattery prevail! (Plus TIFG’s tendency to oppose McTurtle)

  19. 19.

    wjca

    @Jackie: Let’s cross all fingers and toes that ego and flattery prevail! (Plus TIFG’s tendency to oppose McTurtle)

    Picture Rosendale leveraging his “strength” by asking Sheehy flat out if he agrees that the 2020 election was stolen.

    If Sheehy says No, TIFG will be all in on Rosendale in a heartbeat.  Which might lead to a shorter (therefore cheaper) primary.  But an easier opponent for Tester.

    If he says Yes, they go on to a longer (more expensive) battle on other subjects.  And possibly lingering bad feelings.

  22. 22.

    teezyskeezy

    @Yutsano: But seriously, I *am* a fool because I saw that Biden speech and thought it would change things. I really did. But, no, the media still just running on his flubs, business as usual I guess. They are fucking us over royally.

  24. 24.

    Gretchen

    @teezyskeezy: He didn’t make a flub.  Egyptian social media refers to Sisi as “ the Mexican”. It’s a rhyming joke. Biden obviously knows this and thought Mexico when saying he called Sisi about the border, and named the border city. Instead of saying, wow, this guy is so up on the situation he even knows nicknames and social media memes, the press (which doesn’t know enough about the region to know what they don’t know), is gleefully going, “ haha, confused grandpa thinks Mexico borders Israel! Dementia watch!”.

  25. 25.

    Yutsano

    Getting back on subject…

    This is why I am hopeful about Cathy McMorrris-Rodgers retiring as well. The Republicans know that if Rosendale wins the primary that gives Tester a better chance of winning. If an absolute nutcase gets in to the 5th district jungle primary for Washington they’ll win. Because there is no moderation in the Republicans that will vote in the primaries. Rosendale will most likely win. I honestly don’t see how that process can be stopped at this point. Add in the RNC being dead flat broke and I like our chances in both places.

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