Overview
- Sen. Steve Daines withdrew his reelection bid minutes before Montana’s filing cutoff as Kurt Alme filed eight minutes before the deadline, drawing immediate endorsements from Daines, President Trump and senior Montana Republicans.
- Daines later told Semafor the timing aimed to avoid an expensive fight, following CNN’s reporting that the move would also keep top Democratic recruits from entering the open-seat race.
- Independent Seth Bodnar launched a bid and criticized the switch as a handoff, while multiple Democrats filed without a top-tier contender on the ballot.
- Alme enters a contested Republican primary on June 2 against lesser-known rivals, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 3.
- Daines’ retirement creates an open Montana seat and vacates his assignments, including a coveted spot on the Senate Finance Committee.