Montana Republican Steve Daines withdrew his Senate reelection paperwork Wednesday minutes before the deadline — and minutes after U.S. attorney Kurt Alme filed to run for the seat himself. Daines’ decision appeared to catch most of Washington off guard, but he said he had been pondering it for some time. “Serving the people of Montana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career and I am grateful to God for allowing me to serve,’’ he said in a statement. “After wrestling with this decision for months, I have decided I will not seek re-election.” Alme, a Republican who serves as U.S. attorney for the District of Montana, quickly picked up Daines’ endorsement. “I've known Kurt Alme for years,’’ Daines said in his statement. “He was appointed U.S. attorney by President Trump in his first term and then reappointed when President Trump was reelected because he did such a good job cracking down on crime.” Trump issued a statement on social media praising Daines and endorsing Alme. "In fact, if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is but, Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. News that Daines had pulled his paperwork was first reported by Jonathon Ambarian of Montana Television Network. Montana, once a state that backed Democratic populists, has moved steadily to the right over the past decade. But Democrats expressed optimism that they can make the state competitive, especially in a favorable midterm environment. Also on Wednesday, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar launched a run as an independent. “Steve Daines is joining more and more of his colleagues in deciding to throw in the towel rather than defend their toxic record,” Monica Robinson, spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “This news is the latest flashing warning sign to all GOP senators: Your jobs are not safe, retire or lose.” Daines’ dramatic withdrawal from the race echoes similar moves by House and Senate candidates, who waited until moments before the filing deadline to pull their candidacies, clearing a path for their preferred successor. Daines, 63, was first elected to the Senate in 2014, after serving a single term in the House. He was chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2024 election cycle, when the GOP flipped seats in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Montana to gain the majority. Daines' retirement will open up a plum seat on the Senate Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over tax and trade policy as well as Social Security and the major health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. He also serves on Foreign Relations, another exclusive "Super A" committee in the Senate, as well as Energy and Natural Resources and Indian Affairs. Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.
