Businessman and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy announced Tuesday that he is seeking the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Montana that is considered to be a must-win for the GOP.
“I’ve proudly fought for our country to defend our freedoms, and I’m once again answering the call to serve,” Mr. Sheehy said in a campaign announcement. “I will fight to bring real leadership to Washington to save our country and protect our Montana way of life.”
Mr. Sheehy, the CEO of aerial firefighting company Bridger Aerospace, is the first official Republican contender in the race. His Senate bid is setting the stage for a possible showdown against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.
The first-time candidate accused Mr. Tester of “losing sight of Montana values” after having served in the Senate since 2006.
“Like any good politician, Jon talks one way but votes another. Montanans have had enough of these career politicians who are full of empty promises and are not representing our Montana values. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to rebuild America,” Mr. Sheehy said.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines of Montana endorsed Mr. Sheehy’s bid for the seat that could clinch a GOP majority in the Senate.
“Tim Sheehy is a decorated veteran, successful businessman and a great Montanan,” Mr. Daines said. “I could not be happier that he has decided to enter the Montana Senate race.”
Meanwhile, speculation has swirled over whether Rep. Matt Rosendale, who ran against Mr. Tester in 2018, will mount a second GOP bid for the Senate.
Aashka Varma, Mr. Rosendale’s deputy chief of staff, told The Washington Times that the lawmaker “has not yet made a decision on whether to challenge Tester.”
“Representative Rosendale has overwhelming trust and support from the voters of Montana, and there is no question that the people of Montana deserve better than a Democrat yes-man like Senator Tester or a candidate hand-picked by [Senate Republican leader Mitch] McConnell and the Washington, D.C., elites,” Ms. Varma said.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washigtontimes.com.