Overview
- Kurt Alme was projected to win the Republican primary on Tuesday, securing the GOP nomination to replace retiring Sen. Steve Daines.
- Daines withdrew minutes before the filing deadline in March and recruited Alme to run, a late switch that critics said blocked other Republican hopefuls.
- President Trump endorsed Alme after the filing change, and key Montana Republicans coalesced around him even as some state GOP figures complained about the process.
- Independent Seth Bodnar qualified for the November ballot and has raised roughly $2 million overall, reporting about $754,000 since March and saying he would not caucus with either party.
- Democrats nominated Alani Bankhead but are not treating Montana as a top pickup target this cycle, so the race will be watched more for its impact on Senate math and the effect of a well-funded independent on vote splits.