The 2026 U.S. Senate race for Montana experienced two last-minute surprises from Republican candidates on Wednesday.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines has opted not to run for re-election in 2026. Daines' withdrawal of his candidacy was received by the Montana Secretary of State's Office at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday, just minutes before the filing deadline closed.
Daines was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, and re-elected in 2020.
In a news release, Daines said: "Serving the people of Montana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career and I am grateful to God for allowing me to serve. After wrestling with this decision for months, I have decided I will not seek re-election. It is time for a new leaders like Tim Sheehy to spearhead the fight for Montana in the United States Senate."
An announcement👇 pic.twitter.com/7HCofBTUMA
— Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) March 5, 2026
At 4:52 p.m., the Secretary of State's Office received paperwork from Kurt Alme, who is entering the race for the U.S. Senate.
Alme has served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana since March 2025. He also served in that role from 2017 until 2020.
In his news release, Daines said that he is supporting Alme to succeed him in the U.S. Senate: “I've known Kurt Alme for years. He was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Trump in his first term and then reappointed when President Trump was reelected because he did such a good job cracking down on crime."
We will update you as we get more information.
