EBS STAFF
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Montana minutes before Wednesday’s candidate filing deadline, the Montana Free Press reported on March 4. His office confirmed he will serve the remaining 10 months of his current term. The late withdrawal came shortly after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he would not seek reelection, leaving two open federal races in the state.
Republican Sen. Daines was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, serving Montana’s at-large district from 2013 to 2015. In 2014, he ran for the U.S. Senate and won the seat, then was reelected in 2020. During his Senate tenure, Daines served on several committees including finance, foreign relations, energy and natural resources, and Indian affairs, and chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2023 to 2025, helping oversee Republican Senate campaign efforts.
Republican Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed for Senate candidacy shortly before the deadline, and was quickly endorsed by President Donald Trump.
