Daines Drops Reelection Bid at Deadline; US Attorney Alme Resigns to Run

Sen. Steve Daines, 63, withdrew his name from Montana’s 2026 U.S. Senate ballot minutes before the 5 p.m. filing deadline with the Secretary of State’s office, creating an opening that saw Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme file shortly thereafter and resign his federal post. Alme’s resignation cleared the way for acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot to take over the office, and former President Donald Trump quickly endorsed Alme, saying, “Sadly for our Country, Steve’s Term is up, and he has decided to leave the Senate and, ‘pass the torch’ to Kurt Alme, my TRUMP 45 and TRUMP 47 U.S. Attorney.”

The sequence unfolded within a compressed filing window: Daines withdrew just minutes before the deadline, Alme filed his candidacy shortly before the cutoff and submitted his resignation as U.S. Attorney, and Racicot was named acting U.S. Attorney. On the same day Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president and West Point graduate who served in Army special forces and later worked as an executive at GE Transportation, launched an independent campaign for the seat and criticized Daines’ timing. Bodnar said Daines had “so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor, instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box,” and added in a video message, “America’s political system is broken and elected officials in Washington are looking out only for people who are wealthy and connected.”

Daines posted a written statement and a video announcing his decision, saying, “After wrestling with this decision for months, I have decided I will not seek re-election.” He also said he looked forward to spending time with his seven grandchildren and, in a separate remark, that “It is time for new leaders like Tim Sheehy to spearhead the fight for Montana in the United States Senate.” Reporting on Daines’ role in recent GOP operations has described him as a top Trump ally who led the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2024 cycle.

The move reshapes Montana’s 2026 contest and has immediate national consequences. Republicans hold a 53-seat Senate majority versus Democrats’ 45 seats and two independents, and Daines becomes the 15th senator to announce retirement since the 2024 election. No well-known Democrats had filed for the Montana seat by the filing deadline, leaving the Republican fight — and independent bids such as Bodnar’s — to set the early contours of the race.

Last-minute withdrawals have precedent as a tactic to install handpicked successors; Rep. Chuy Garcia was censured last fall for a related succession maneuver. The quick replacement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trump’s rapid endorsement raise questions about campaign timing, DOJ departures, and intra-party selection that will shape filings, primary calendars, and fundraising in Helena and Washington in the weeks ahead.