Donald TrumpTim Sheehy’s recent endorsement dealt a blow to Rep. Matt Rosendale’s Senate bid in Montana, while Senate Republicans gained momentum with the recruitment of former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to a blue state.
The events that unfolded Friday have shaken up the Senate battleground map, adding pressure on Democrats to defend their narrow majority, Politico reported.
After a difficult 2022 cycle, Republicans are cautiously optimistic, pushing Democrats onto the defensive in red and purple states.
Read also: Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump’s ‘MAGA Morons’ defense during Supreme Court hearing
Despite this, Texas and Florida remain challenging prospects for the GOP, the report said.
Friday’s events revealed the strategic moves of Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), head of the Senate Republican campaign, who orchestrated Sheehy’s introduction to recruiting Trump and Hogan.
Following past recruiting setbacks, Daines has prioritized acquiring senior figures and strengthening ties with the former president, the report adds.
Senate Republicans have long believed that Hogan, a well-regarded two-term governor who has kept his distance from Trump, could turn Maryland into a competitive area.
See also: Trump takes credit for collapse of bipartisan border deal: ‘I think we killed him… he’s dead’
Their hopes were realized Friday, the last day Hogan applied to run for Senate, after two failed recruitment attempts in the 2022 cycle and the previous year, Politico added.
Despite numerous attempts by Montana Republican leaders to dissuade Rosendale from running for Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) seat, they received a favorable outcome on Friday: Trump’s endorsement of their favored candidate.
However, Maryland’s strong Democratic tilt presents a formidable challenge. Biden led the state by 33 points in 2020, and it is Hogan’s first run in a presidential election year.
Read next: Palantir partners with Bapco Upstream to support Bahrain’s energy sector
This content was partially produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: Shutterstock