A 4:52 Filing; a 5:00 Withdrawal
At 4:52 p.m. Wednesday, just minutes before Montana’s filing deadline, Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed the necessary paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Steve Daines.
Eight minutes later, the deposit window closed.
Montana law requires candidates to submit their materials by the 5 p.m. filing deadline in order to appear on the ballot, making the final minutes of the filing period one of the last opportunities for campaigns to enter or exit a race.
By then, Daines was no longer in the race.
State candidate filings show the senator, who had already filed to run for another term, withdrew his name from the ballot shortly before the 5 p.m. deadline, reshaping the Republican field in the final minutes before nominations closed.
BREAKING: Sen. Steve Daines appears to have dropped out of the re-election race.
I’m working on that.#MTpol #MTnews pic.twitter.com/2mCrZYOrh5
–Bradley Warren (@bradmwarren) March 5, 2026
Reporters who track the state’s ranking system quickly spotted the change. Shortly afterward, Daines’ chief of staff confirmed that the senator had withdrawn from the race.
But the senator himself had not yet publicly discussed this decision.
Learn more: Elon Lifts Steve Daines Suspension, Announces New Liberal Hate Policy
Energy Department now bets $134 million on recycling rare earth minerals to boost national reserves
At 8:02 p.m. Eastern Time, more than three hours after the filing deadline, Daines released a video message confirming he would not run again, ending a congressional career that spanned more than a decade.
An announcement👇 pic.twitter.com/7HCofBTUMA
-Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) March 5, 2026
In the video statement, Daines said the decision followed months of reflection on his future after 13 years in Congress.
“Serving the people of Montana in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate for the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career. After careful consideration, I have decided not to run for office.”
Daines first entered Congress after winning Montana’s at-large House seat in 2012 before successfully running for Senate in 2014. Over time, he became a prominent figure in the GOP Senate conference and later served as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2023 to 2025, helping to oversee the party’s Senate campaign strategy during a crucial election cycle.
In Wednesday evening’s statement, the outgoing senator also clarified who he believes should succeed him.
“Daines endorsed Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for the Senate seat and praised his work in combating crime and drug trafficking problems across the state.”
Daines supports Alme>>> pic.twitter.com/tpjqOPYZRc
– Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) March 5, 2026
Alme later confirmed he would run for Senate, seeking the Republican nomination to represent Montana in Washington.
“Alme said he was proud to launch his campaign and underscored his commitment to serving Montana’s communities while strengthening public safety and upholding the rule of law across the state.”
By the time Daines spoke publicly Wednesday night, the race had already been reshaped.
The submission deadline had passed. His name did not appear on the ballot. And the Montana Senate race had a new face.
Editor’s note: The mainstream media are not interested in facts; they only want to attack the president. Help us continue to get to the bottom of the massive fraud epidemic in the Blue State by supporting our truth-seeking journalism today.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership
