Daines Abruptly Exits Senate Race to Clear Path for Kurt Alme
Sen. Steve Daines withdrew minutes before the Wednesday filing deadline, allowing U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme to file and drawing GOP backing and Democratic criticism.
Raw StoryRepublican senator abruptly abandons Montana seat
SemaforExclusive: Daines says his stunning exit was designed to avoid âa very expensiveâ race
PBS NewsHourMontana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines drops reelection bid minutes before filing deadline
Political WireSteve Daines’ Quick Exit Was to Block Democrats
Overview
Sen. Steve Daines withdrew his re-election paperwork minutes before the Wednesday filing deadline.
Daines said he withdrew to prevent Democrats from fielding top-tier recruits and to avoid what he called a 'very expensive' $200-300 million race, according to reporting.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed to run eight minutes before the deadline and was quickly endorsed as Daines's chosen successor, according to reporting.
Independent candidate Seth Bodnar criticized Daines's maneuver as a coronation that robbed voters of a choice, according to reporting.
With the filing deadline closed, no top-tier Democrat can now jump into the race, according to reporting.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Daines’s withdrawal as a tactical move to block Democrats, using loaded verbs like "abruptly pull out" and causal phrasing such as "to prevent Democrats from fielding a top recruit." They foreground potential Democratic threats by naming Tester, Schweitzer and Bullock, while giving little balancing context or Daines’ own rationale.
FAQ
Kurt Alme is the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, appointed in March 2025 and previously serving from 2017-2020 under Trump. He was also Gov. Greg Gianforte's state budget director and has no prior statewide elected office.
Daines withdrew minutes before the filing deadline to endorse Kurt Alme as his successor, prevent Democrats from fielding top recruits, and avoid a costly $200-300 million race after months of consideration.
Kurt Alme has been endorsed by Sen. Steve Daines, President Donald Trump, Sen. Tim Sheehy, and Gov. Greg Gianforte.
The late withdrawal closed the filing deadline, preventing top-tier Democrats from entering, positioning Alme as the likely GOP nominee, with independent Seth Bodnar criticizing it as limiting voter choice.
