WASHINGTON — Sen. Steve Daines said he will not seek reelection in 2026, a surprise decision that opens up a U.S. Senate seat in Montana ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Daines, a Republican first elected to the Senate in 2014, announced the move shortly before the state’s candidate filing deadline, saying he had been considering the decision for months and wanted to spend more time with family.
“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,” Daines said in a statement announcing his decision.
His departure creates an open race in a state that has trended strongly Republican in recent elections. Daines immediately endorsed former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme to succeed him, and Alme filed to run just before the deadline, the Associated Press reported.
America’s CUs: ‘Steadfast Champion’ of Credit Unions
“Sen. Steve Daines has been a steadfast champion of credit unions and the underserved communities they help power,” Scott Simpson, President and CEO of America’s Credit Unions said in a statement. “His leadership on bipartisan efforts such as the AFFORD Act to strengthen the CDFI Fund would help expand lending capacity, improve transparency, and ensure mission-driven lenders can reach more families and small businesses. We thank Senator Daines for his partnership and wish him the very best in the years ahead.”
