Rep. Matt Rosendale suddenly announced Friday he would abandon a Montana House reelection bid and not run for any elected office, capping a whirlwind month where he entered a Senate race, abandoned it and intended to run again for his current seat.
“The current attacks have made it impossible for me to focus on my work to serve you,” Rosendale wrote in a statement. “So, in the best interest of my family and the community, I am withdrawing from the House race and will not be seeking office.”
His central and eastern Montana seat is heavily Republican and will likely be retained by the GOP. He only arrived in the House in 2021 after losing the 2018 Montana Senate race to incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D).
Rosendale, an staunchly conservative House member, has faced allegations — made publicly by former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) — that he withdrew from the Senate contest over allegations he impregnated a staffer. His office strongly contested those claims and vowed legal action.