Kurt Alme, a former U.S. attorney backed by Donald Trump, won Montana's GOP Senate primary after incumbent Sen. Steve Daines abruptly withdrew from the race and endorsed him. The move drew accusations of a "backroom deal." Alme now faces Democrat Alani Bankhead and well-funded independent Seth Bodnar in the general election in the reliably Republican state, which Trump won by 20 points in 2024.
Montana GOP Senate primary results
- ▪With about 30% of the vote counted, Kurt Alme led his two challengers with 77.3%
- ▪Kurt Alme, a former U.S. attorney, won Montana's Republican Senate primary on June 2, 2026
- ▪Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead has pledged to stay in the race and not clear a path for independent Seth Bodnar
- ▪Air Force veteran Alani Bankhead won the Democratic primary, defeating former state Rep. Reilly Neill
- ▪The November general election will feature Republican Kurt Alme, independent Seth Bodnar, and Democrat Alani Bankhead
Steve Daines retirement announcement
- ▪Incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines announced he would not seek a third term in March, just minutes before the filing deadline
- ▪Kurt Alme filed to run for the Senate seat about five minutes after Sen. Steve Daines endorsed him and withdrew his own candidacy
- ▪Opponents accused Sen. Steve Daines of orchestrating a "backroom deal" to install a handpicked candidate
- ▪Sen. Steve Daines stated the move was designed to block a prominent Democrat from running and avoid attracting millions in outside spending
Kurt Alme Trump endorsement
- ▪Donald Trump stated he endorsed Kurt Alme based on Sen. Steve Daines' "strongest recommendation."
- ▪Kurt Alme was twice appointed by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. attorney in Montana
- ▪Kurt Alme received endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Sen. Steve Daines
- ▪Donald Trump endorsed Kurt Alme on the same day Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from the race in March
Seth Bodnar independent candidacy
- ▪Seth Bodnar accused "D.C. insiders" of trying to rig the election by installing a handpicked candidate
- ▪Seth Bodnar, a former Green Beret, has stated he will not caucus with either Republicans or Democrats if elected
Montana Republican electoral dominance
- ▪No Democratic presidential candidate has won Montana since Bill Clinton in 1992
- ▪Donald Trump won Montana in all three of his presidential campaigns, carrying the state by 20 percentage points in 2024
- ▪In 2024, Republican Tim Sheehy defeated two-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester
- ▪In 2024, Donald Trump received a career-high 58.4% of the vote in Montana
Senate race fundraising totals
- ▪Seth Bodnar raised over $754,000 since March for a total of $2 million since entering the race, according to his latest financial filing
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