With hardly a day remaining before the polls close on Montana’s primary election, former President Donald Trump endorsed Montana State Auditor Troy Downing for the Republican ticket in the eastern congressional district election.
“As Montana’s very popular State Auditor, Troy is a Combat Veteran and successful entrepreneur who knows how to create jobs, protect our Military, and represent Montana values in Congress,” Trump said in a post Monday on Truth Social, Trump’s own social media platform. “Troy will fight to Lower Inflation, Secure our Border, Champion American Energy Independence, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Troy Downing has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Downing said Monday he was honored by the nod from the former president, and believed they are most closely aligned on finishing the wall on the southern U.S. border.
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“I’m looking forward to working with President Trump next year and really taking this country back again,” he said in a phone interview. “He’s going to have an ally in Congress.”
Downing is running in an eight-way primary for the seat being vacated by Rep. Matt Rosendale. There are two other Republicans with formidable name recognition: Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen and longtime congressman Denny Rehberg. The top three candidates have all aimed to sway voters that they’re the most loyal to Trump, though Downing has faced attacks for tweets dating back to 2016 where he was critical of the former president, saying he was “either a liar or an idiot.” Downing has countered with ads this cycle vowing to back Trump’s agenda if he’s re-elected.
On Monday, Downing said: “Since Trump was our nominee in the beginning I have had unwavering support for him.”
Former GOP legislator Joel Krautter is the only candidate in the primary to say he does not support Trump.
President Donald Trump visited Billings on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in support of Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale. It was Trump’s second trip to Montana in that year, after previously visiting Great Falls.
Downing was among the uniform chorus of Republican elected officials in Montana last week to denounce the jury conviction against Trump on 34 counts of falsification of business records as a “sham” proceeding put on by political forces out to dismantle a political frontrunner.
That conviction won’t change Downing’s decision to hoist high the former president’s endorsement.
“You’ve got a judge that clearly has a bias toward the Democrats,” he said. “The problem is with the court itself and the judge.”
The endorsement comes late in Montana’s primary, with 42% of absentee ballots already returned, according to Montana Secretary of State’s Office. Some counties’ ballot counts are already as high as 50%. That accounts for nearly a quarter of registered voters.
“Obviously an endorsement would do a lot more in the Republican primary even a week or two ago,” said Carroll College political science Professor Jeremy Johnson.
He noted for such a packed primary contest, there hasn’t been enough public polling to parse out a strong front runner. Aside from Krautter, most candidates have been running pro-Trump campaigns emphasizing similar issues, he said.
“Downing, because of his name recognition, is already one of the frontrunners,” Johnson said. “The district is heavily Republican, so whoever’s the Republican nominee will be the clear favorite in November.”
County officials signaled last week the time has passed to mail in absentee ballots. Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday to vote in person or drop off ballots.
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