U.S. Senate Races

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.

Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a GOP Senate runoff, and Paxton says he will "stay in this race" even if former President Trump endorses Cornyn — an endorsement operatives say is increasingly likely as Republicans seek to avoid a costly, messy contest. The bruising intraparty fight has generated massive spending (Cornyn and allies have spent at least $64 million on TV ads since July, with nearly $100 million reported attacking Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt), and Republicans worry Paxton’s political baggage could weaken the party against Democrat James Talarico in the general election.