Steve Daines Withdraws From Senate Race, Backs Kurt Alme
Daines withdrew his candidacy minutes before the filing deadline and endorsed U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who filed shortly before the deadline and won President Trump's endorsement.
Overview
Sen. Steve Daines said he will not seek re-election after withdrawing his name at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday.
Daines had already filed to run again this year but withdrew his name shortly before the state filing deadline and confirmed his decision only after the deadline passed, his statement said.
Daines endorsed Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who filed his paperwork at 4:52 p.m., and President Donald Trump endorsed Alme in a Truth Social post Wednesday evening, according to statements and records.
Daines, 63, has served in Congress since 2013 and won re-election in 2020 by 10 percentage points, reporting said.
Independent Seth Bodnar announced an independent Senate bid this week and criticized Daines for withdrawing at the last minute, and Alme is considered the frontrunner for the November election, according to reporting.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the story neutrally, relying on attributed quotes, factual context (fundraising, candidate background) and historical voting trends rather than loaded adjectives. Editorial statements are minimal; evaluative claims are either data-driven or directly quoted, and multiple perspectives are included without selective omission.
FAQ
Daines stated in his news release that after "wrestling with this decision for months," he decided it was "time for a new leaders like Tim Sheehy to spearhead the fight for Montana in the United States Senate."[3] While the search results do not provide a detailed explanation of his specific reasons, his withdrawal came just minutes before the filing deadline on Wednesday.
Kurt Alme is the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, appointed by President Trump in his first term and reappointed when Trump was reelected.[3] Alme filed for the Senate seat at 4:52 p.m. on Wednesday, just minutes before the deadline.[3] He is considered the frontrunner for the November election partly because Daines endorsed him and President Donald Trump endorsed Alme on Truth Social Wednesday evening.[3] Daines praised Alme for "doing such a good job cracking down on crime."[3]
Former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced he would run for the seat as an Independent.[1] Bodnar criticized Daines for withdrawing at the last minute. The search results also mention that in the 2024 Senate race, Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Tester, with Sheehy now holding one of Montana's two Senate seats.[4]
Daines has served in Congress for 13 years, including service in the U.S. House before his election to the Senate.[3] He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and re-elected in 2020.[1][3] He is 63 years old and was born in Van Nuys, California, before growing up in Bozeman, Montana.[2] Before his election to the House in 2012, he was an executive at Right Now Technologies.[2]
Montana previously had a history of "ticket splitting" with voters willing to back officials from both major parties, but this "purple streak faded as national issues including immigration and health care took a more central role in Treasure State politics."[2] Since 2014, Democrats have lost control of the governor's office, both Senate seats, and all other statewide positions they once held.[2] With Republican Tim Sheehy's 2024 victory, Republicans held both of Montana's Senate seats for the first time since 1911.[4]
