On March 4 at 4:52 pm local time, former U.S. Attorney for Montana Kurt Alme filed his candidacy for the US Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. Then, Senator Steve Daines withdrew his re-election bid mere minutes before the filing deadline and quickly endorsed Alme to be his successor. This last-second switcheroo effectively guaranteed Alme the Republican nomination for Montana’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat, allowing zero time for any potential challengers to Alme to run against him.
“Kurt Alme’s ascension into the Republican nomination for Montana’s Senate seat was clearly orchestrated through backroom deals among Washington elites, with no regard for the voices or votes of Montanans,” said Gus Nathanson, spokesperson for American Bridge 21st Century. “Daines hand-selected Alme as his heir and undemocratically ensured that Alme would face zero competition in the GOP primary, subverting the will of his own constituents.”
Alme went so far as to admit that the purpose of his last-minute entry into the US Senate race was to circumvent normal democratic processes, stating that Senator Daines “wanted to discourage Jon Tester and Steve Bullock from entering the race.”
The nature of Alme’s shady candidacy has drawn significant criticism from Montanans, including key figures in the Montana Republican Party. When discussing the last-second switcheroo, GOP Montana House Rep. Shane Klakken stated, “I don’t like that at all. The party picked him. That’s not good. We need to pick them.”
Additionally, Brad Johnson, a Republican and former Montana Secretary of State whom Alme supported, said in a Bozeman Daily Chronicle column, “This is what the Swamp looks like in Montana: Last-minute deals, handpicked successors, frozen-out challengers, and party insiders treating voters like an inconvenience. Steve Daines now believes he knows better than Montana Republicans. He thinks Washington should choose Montana’s voice in Washington, instead of letting Montana Republicans choose it for themselves.”
“This November, Montanans will have an opportunity that they were robbed of in the Senate primary: a chance to express their voice at the ballot box,” said Gus Nathanson, spokesperson for American Bridge 21st Century. “They can choose Kurt Alme, heir to the elites, or they can send the message loud and clear that Washington does not decide who represents them in the upper chamber of Congress. That power should be strictly reserved for Montanans.”
Published: Apr 14, 2026