GOP lands top candidate in Montana Senate race
By Ben Kamisar - 07/31/17 11:51 AM EDT Montana state Auditor Matt Rosendale said Monday he would challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), giving Republicans a top recruit in their effort to win a red-state Senate seat.
Rosendale will enter a crowded GOP primary field but will be the only Republican in the race to hold a statewide office.
Tester, who holds one of the 25 seats the Senate Democratic Caucus is defending next year, is seen as vulnerable. He won his 2012 reelection by about 4 percentage points.
Rosendale announced his bid on Monday with a short video blasting Washington Democrats and touting his conservative chops.
The video specifically touts Rosendale as a would-be ally to President Trump and Vice President Pence, making clear he would support the administration in a state Trump won by about 20 points in November.
"There's a shadow over Montana — an intrusive federal government run by insiders, liberals and big spenders. They are everything that is wrong with Washington," the narrator of the ad says. "President Trump and Mike Pence are fighting back, but they need help."
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http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/344605-montana-state-auditor-enters-senate-race-as-top-tester-challenger
