Montana Attorney General Tim Fox today confirmed reports that he will not run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2018. Despite courtship from national Republican leaders, Fox says he will not campaign for the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jon Tester.“You don’t take those kinds of things lightly, obviously," says Fox. "It would be a tremendous honor to be in the United States Senate, but I enjoy being attorney general.”
Fox was considered a possible contender in the 2018 senate race, after Republican Congressman Ryan Zinkeaccepted the position of Interior Secretary in the Trump administration. Zinke had suggested he might run for the seat.
Two other Republicans have already announced bids to challenge Tester, state Senator Albert Olszewski from Kalispell and businessman Troy Downing from Big Sky. Republican party leaders expect others to enter their party’s primary race.
Some pundits speculate Attorney General Fox held himself out of the Senate race so he could run for governor in 2020.