2026 United States Senate election in Montana
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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 1976 and the first in this seat since 1960.[a]
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November 3, 2026
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Two-term incumbent Steve Daines, who was re-elected in 2020 with 55% 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
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.[1] Recently, the state has also been trending red on a statewide level, as Republicans flipped the governorship in 2020,[2] and the Class I Senate seat in 2024.[3]
Republican primary
The filing deadline for participation in primaries was March 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.[4] 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.[5] Daines's maneuver has been criticized by members of both parties.[6][7] 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."[8]
Candidates
Declared
- Kurt Alme, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana (2017–2020, 2025–2026)[9]
- Lee Calhoun, mechanical engineer[10]
- Charles WalkingChild, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024[11]
Withdrawn
- Steve Daines, incumbent U.S. senator (2015–present) (endorsed Alme)[12]
Endorsements
- Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[13] (previously endorsed Daines)[14]
- U.S. senators
- Steve Daines, Montana (2015–present)[12]
- Tim Sheehy, Montana (2025–present)[15]
- Statewide officials
- Greg Gianforte, governor of Montana (2021–present)[15]
- Organizations
- Executive branch officials
Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[14] (endorsed Alme after Daines withdrew)[13]
- Organizations
- Political parties
Fundraising
Italics indicate a withdrawn candidate.
| Campaign finance reports as of April 18, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Steve Daines (R) | $8,335,510 | $4,168,226 | $4,275,067 |
| Kurt Alme (R) | $924,643 | $15,686 | $908,956 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[19] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Kurt Alme |
Lee Calhoun |
Charles Walking Child |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton[20][A] | April 29 – May 7, 2026 | – (RV) | – | 73% | 12% | 15% | – |
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Alani Bankhead, Air Force lieutenant colonel and leadership coach[21]
- Michael Black Wolf, tribal historic preservation officer at Fort Belknap Indian Community[22]
- Michael Hummert, retired remodeling contractor and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024[23]
- Christopher Kehoe, arts administrator[10][24]
- Reilly Neill, former state representative from the 62nd district (2013–2015)[25]
Withdrawn
- Kathleen McLaughlin, homemaker (running for Montana House of Representatives)[26]
Declined
- Jon Tester, former U.S. senator (2007–2025)[27]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of April 18, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Alani Bankhead (D) | $15,240 | $5,775 | $10,625 |
| Michael Black Wolf (D) | $26,144 | $25,616 | $528 |
| Michael Hummert (D) | $10,900 | $3,125 | $8,519 |
| Reilly Neill (D) | $277,088 | $173,150 | $103,938 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[19] | |||
Libertarian primary
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana (2018–2026)[30]
Endorsements
- U.S. senators
- Jon Tester, Montana (2007–2025) (Democratic)[31]
- Statewide officials
- Marc Racicot, former governor of Montana (1993–2001) (Republican)[32]
- Party officials
- Andrew Yang, co-chair of the Forward Party (2022–present) and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate (Forward)[33]
- Individuals
- Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn[31]
- Michael Novogratz, co-founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital LP[31]
- Organizations
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of April 18, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Seth Bodnar (I) | $1,358,574 | $213,586 | $1,144,988 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[19] | |||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[35] | Likely R | April 23, 2026 |
| Race To The WH[36] | Likely R | May 22, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[37] | Lean R | May 27, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[38] | Likely R | March 4, 2026 |
| The Cook Political Report[39] | Solid R | April 13, 2026 |
| The Economist[40][c] | Lean R | May 22, 2026 |
Polling
Kurt Alme vs. Reilly Neill vs. Seth Bodnar
Steve Daines vs. Reilly Neill vs. Seth Bodnar
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Steve Daines (R) |
Reilly Neill (D) |
Seth Bodnar (I) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Pulse Research & Polling[42] | February 14–18, 2026 | 607 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 52% | 25% | 16% | – | 7% |
| 56% | 37% | – | ||||||
| 51% | – | 42% | ||||||
| yes. every kid.[43] | January 23–26, 2026 | 500 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 43% | 19% | 15% | 3%[e] | 20% |
Steve Daines vs. Seth Bodnar as a Democrat
Kurt Alme vs. generic Democrat
Notes
- John Walsh, the incumbent Senator at the time, appointed to finish Max Baucus's term, ran for a full Senate term in 2014, but withdrew due to plagiarism allegations.
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - The Economist's prediction model uses unconventional terminology. For the purpose of equivalency, their "Very Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Likely" rating while "Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Lean" rating.
- Tom Jandron (L) with 3%
- "Someone else/Other" with 2%; "Do not plan to vote" with 1%
- Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by the Montana Free Press
- Poll commissioned by Contours Inc.