BOZEMAN — By now, many Montanans have heard the news — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines will not run for re-election in 2026. Stepping into the race is Kurt Alme, U.S. attorney for Montana, and the shake-up has political watchers talking.
To help explain what’s happening, we spoke with Eric Austin, department head of political science at Montana State University.
“It has been a surprising couple of days,” Austin said when asked about his initial reaction to Daines’ decision.
Austin, who has taught political science for years, says his passion stems from growing up in a politically engaged family.
“Had a very political family,” he said. “So when I was growing up, every evening was a conversation about current events.”
Having lived in Montana for more than two decades, Austin is familiar with the workings of the state’s capital. Still, he says this news caught him off guard.
“It’s definitely shaken up the environment for the upcoming election pretty significantly,” he said.
Daines has also endorsed Alme as his successor.
“It’s hard to imagine that that’s coincidental,” Austin said.
Daines’ announcement came just minutes before the filing deadline for other candidates to enter the primary.
“My guess is lots of potential candidates didn’t put their name in because they would’ve been uncompetitive against Sen. Daines. By controlling the clock, he was able to manage that field a little bit,” Austin said.
The timing, Austin noted, gives Alme an advantage.
“Basically, this individual has a leg up when it comes to that Republican primary in June,” he said.
Some voters may view the maneuver as limiting options.
“You can read the decision and the timing as being sort of undemocratic. It limits voters’ choices,” he said.
Austin added that such tactics aren’t unusual in politics.
“That kind of gamesmanship — that’s parties being parties. All of our political parties engage in some form of that or another,” he said.
Even though the filing deadline has passed, Austin said voters still have options.
“Voters can always make their voices clear. You can write in candidates, you can vote across party lines — there are lots of options still open to voters and potential candidates,” he said.
Daines will serve the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027. Montana’s Republican primary is set for June 2, with the general election on Nov. 3.
