As filings close, Republican Steve Daines withdraws from U.S. Senate race 

This story was updated with additional context at 10:46 p.m.

Just two minutes before the filing deadline, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from the 2026 U.S. Senate race Wednesday. The move, which follows an announcement by U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke Monday that he wouldn’t seek a third term in Montana’s Western U.S. House District, will remove two incumbents from a federal delegation that became entirely Republican for the first time in 2025.

Daines officially filed for reelection just four weeks earlier on Feb. 17 and had $4.9 million in the bank for a campaign. He explained his decision in a press release issued shortly before 6 p.m. He said he had been struggling with the decision about pursuing a third term for some time. 

“I’m thankful to have served alongside President Trump and my colleagues in the Senate,” Daines said in an announcement. “Together, we built a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, spearheaded Republican control of the Senate, delivered the largest tax cut in history, unleashed American energy dominance, secured our southern border, enacted the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act — the most significant conservation achievement in half a century — and forged stronger ties with critical allies across the globe.”

Daines posted a full video of his announcement on X. 

Daines’s communications director, Gabby Wiggins, told Montana Free Press in a text that the senator would complete his final 10 months of his second term.

A screenshot of the secretary of state’s official candidate list, with Daines’ crossed out name, appearing in red with the word “withdrawn,” was circulating widely on social media Wednesday evening.

Daines’ decision to withdraw promptly before the filling deadline appears to have been intended to dissuade anyone — except his chosen successor, Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme — from joining the race. 

State campaign filing records show Alme, who has never previously held a statewide office, registering his campaign eight minutes before the filing period ended. About two hours after that, Alme issued a press release formally announcing his candidacy for United States Senate. 

“As a native Montanan, I have always been committed to serving our communities, upholding the rule of law, and fighting for the safety and prosperity of every family in our state,” Alme said.

Alme’s announcement included endorsements from Daines, President Donald Trump, and Daines, as well as U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte. Alme was briefly Gianforte’s state budget director. 

Two other Republican candidates have also registered to appear on the June primary ballot for U.S. Senate seat: Lee Calhoun, of Whitefish and Charles Walking Child of Helena. Like Alme, neither has ever held statewide office.

Daines was the second top-ticket Republican to bow out of elections shortly before the filing deadline this week. Zinke announced Monday that he wouldn’t seek a third term in Montana’s Western U.S. House District.

In an interview with MTFP, former Democratic Senator Jon Tester said that the timing appeared to be part of a strategy. “They obviously did this to keep certain people out of these races,” he said. “It wasn’t an accident.”

Tester said the late shakeup, removing incumbents from two congressional races, could benefit Democrats.

“This has the potential to open it up,” Tester told MTFP. “You know you got basically, I don’t know how many, three candidates that I know of that are not particularly well known in the state. They’ve got to go out and sell themselves. And you know what? I kind of like that. That’s what democracy should be about.”

Four Montana Democrats are registered to appear on the primary ballot — Air Force veteran Alani Bankhead of Helena; Michael Black Wolf, a Fort Belknap Indian Community leader from Hays; U.S. Navy veteran Micheal Hummert of Helena and Reilly Neill, a former state legislator from Livingston.

Early Wednesday morning, former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar also entered the U.S. Senate race as an independent. Because Bodnar isn’t a major party candidate, he needs to gather about 13,000 signatures by May 26 to qualify for the general election ballot.

Shortly after Daines announced that he would not be running, Bodnar issued a statement. 

“Steve Daines has so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box,” he said in a press release.

Pulling out shortly before the filing deadline seemed to be a GOP display of control, said Jeremy Johnson, director of political science at Carroll College. “My guess is Republicans feel the state’s moved far enough to the right that they can kind of get away with this type of thing,” Johnson said. “We’ll see in November. It may be a Democratic year for all sorts of reasons. Whether that translates into a competitive race in Montana is still to be seen, especially with the Bodnar independent and all that stuff.”

Daines is in the last year of his second term. His election to the Senate in 2014 helped Republicans retake power of the chamber the following year. No U.S. Senator in Montana since 1988 has lasted more than 18 years.

Gianforte, who was Daines’s boss for more than a decade at Right Now Technologies, in Bozeman, issued a statement wishing the senator well.

“I’ve known Steve Daines for nearly 30 years. From growing a successful business together to serving Montanans together, I’m proud to call Steve a true friend and partner. Montana is stronger today because of Steve’s work to cut taxes, champion our agricultural industry internationally, and strengthen our national defense. He made a big impact and his leadership and service to our state will be missed.”

This story will be updated.