2026 United States Senate election in Montana
The 2026 United States Senate election in Montana will be held on November 6, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Montana. Primary elections will be held on June 2, 2026. With no incumbent running, this is the first open seat since (/wiki/1976UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana) and the first in this seat since (/wiki/1960UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana).
Article
2026 United States Senate election in Montana
The 2026 United States Senate election in Montana will be held on November 6, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Montana. Primary elections will be held on June 2, 2026. With no incumbent running, this is the first open seat since (/wiki/1976UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana) and the first in this seat since (/wiki/1960UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana).
Two-term incumbent Steve Daines, who was re-elected in 2020 with 55.0% of the vote, withdrew from the Republican primary just minutes before the primary filing deadline and endorsed U.S District Attorney Kurt Alme to succeed him.
Seth Bodnar, the former president of the University of Montana, is running as an independent.
Background
2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Montana is considered to be a red state at the federal level, having not voted for a Democratic president since Bill Clinton's plurality victory in 1992. Recently, the state has also been trending red on a statewide level, as Republicans flipped the governorship in (/wiki/2020Montanagubernatorialelection), and the Class I Senate seat in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana).
Republican primary
2026 United States Senate election in Montana
The filing deadline for participation in primaries was March 5, 2026 at 5:00pm. At 4:52 p.m. Kurt Alme filed to run, and 3 minutes later Steve Daines withdrew. At 5:02 p.m, Daines announced his withdrawal and endorsed Alme. The last minute switch was seen as controversial. Daines’ maneuver has been criticized by members of both parties. After the announcement, the Montana Republican Party announced they would not endorse any candidates in any federal races, saying it "supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates."
Declared
• Kurt Alme, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana (2017–2020, 2025–2026) • Lee Calhoun, mechanical engineer • Charles WalkingChild, candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana)
Withdrawn
• Steve Daines, incumbent U.S. senator (2015–present) (endorsed Alme)
Fundraising
<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Steve Daines (R)</td><td>$8,108,303</td><td>$3,311,751</td><td>$4,904,334</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>
Democratic primary
Declared
• Alani Bankhead, Air Force lieutenant colonel and leadership coach • Michael Black Wolf, tribal historic preservation officer at Fort Belknap Indian Community • Michael Hummert, retired remodeling contractor and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninMontana) • Christopher Kehoe, arts administrator • Reilly Neill, former state representative from the 62nd district (2013–2015)
Withdrawn
• Kathleen McLaughlin, homemaker (running for Montana House of Representatives)
Declined
• Jon Tester, former U.S. senator (2007–2025)
Fundraising
<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Alani Bankhead (D)</td><td>$5,318</td><td>$2,000</td><td>$4,478</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Black Wolf (D)</td><td>$13,598</td><td>$4,922</td><td>$8,675</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Hummert (D)</td><td>$10,000</td><td>$200</td><td>$10,544</td></tr><tr><td>Reilly Neill (D)</td><td>$147,227</td><td>$136,319</td><td>$10,907</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>
Libertarian primary
Declared
• Kyle Austin, pharmacist and Republican candidate for Montana's 2nd congressional district in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinMontana#District2) and (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinMontana#District2) • Tom Jandron, aviation professional
Independents
Declared
• Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana (2018–2026)
General election
Predictions
<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Likely R</td><td>March 5, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid R</td><td>October 14, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Likely R</td><td>March 4, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>Likely R</td><td>September 4, 2025</td></tr></tbody></table>