Republican Party Politics

Minutes before Montana’s Senate filing deadline, GOP Sen. Steve Daines abruptly withdrew from his 2026 reelection bid — saying at 63 he’d “wrestled with the decision” for months and wants more time with his seven grandchildren and in Montana. Former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed shortly before Daines’ withdrawal and was quickly endorsed by former President Trump as Daines’ preferred successor, while independent Seth Bodnar also entered the race and both Republican critic Al Olszewski and the DSCC reacted with accusations ranging from back‑room hand‑picking to evidence of troubling GOP prospects.