Sen. Steve Daines has dropped his bid for reelection to a third term

BILLINGS (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana dropped his bid for reelection to a third term in a surprise withdrawal just minutes before a Wednesday filing deadline for candidates.

Daines, 63, said in a statement that he wrestled with the decision for months before deciding to retire. He said he looked forward to spending time with his seven grandchildren and more time in Montana.

Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who is also a Republican, entered the race shortly before the deadline and almost immediately was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump said in a social media post.

It is not unprecedented for a lawmaker to wait until the last minute to publicly disclose their retirements, including in scenarios that clearly help set up a handpicked successor — last fall the House censured Rep. Chuy Garcia, an Illinois Democrat, for how he engineered his retirement and succession plan.

The maneuvering among Republicans came the same day that former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar launched an independent campaign for Daines’ seat.

In a video message, he said America’s political system is broken and elected officials in Washington are looking out only for people who are wealthy and connected.

“The American dream is getting crushed, and both parties are to blame. They pit us against each other while they line their own pockets,” Bodnar said. “We need a new approach, an independent senator who will fight for hardworking Montanans.”

Democrats have been broadly sidelined by the state’s voters in recent years, and Bodnar’s decision to run without party backing underscores their diminished status. Montana Democrats control no statewide offices following the 2024 defeat of three-term incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.

No well-known Democrats entered the Senate race by Wednesday’s deadline.

Republicans have a slim majority in the Senate, holding 53 seats to Democrats’ 45 plus two independents.

Bodnar, a 47-year-old native of Grove City, Pennsylvania, graduated first in his class from West Point and served in the Army special forces before working as an executive at GE Transportation.

Federal Election Commission campaign filings show Daines had raised more than $8 million since his last election in 2020. He had about $5 million in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, according to the filings.

The GOP’s Senate fundraising group, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, criticized Bodnar as “an early champion” of allowing transgender athletes to participate in college sports during his eight years leading the University of Montana.

“Now, Both Ways Bodnar wants Montanans to believe he’s transitioning from a Democrat to a fake independent,” the committee said.

A spokesperson said Bodnar’s allegiances are to the people of Montana, not a political party, when asked if he would align with Democrats or Republicans if elected.

“When Seth gets into the Senate, he will fight for new leadership and negotiate a role that gives Montanans the strongest possible voice,” Roy Loewenstein said.

If he collects the 13,327 voter signatures needed to qualify, Bodnar would appear on the general election ballot, not during the primary.

If the race heats up, it could be pricey. Total spending in the 2024 Senate race between Tester and Republican Tim Sheehy topped $300 million, a record for a congressional race on a per-voter basis, according to party officials.

In 2020, Daines beat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock by 10 percentage points. 

In a post to social media, Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, called Daines a “giant in Montana politics.”

“Steve is doing something we don’t often see in modern politics: stepping down at the height of his power to clear the way for a new generation of leaders,” Sheehy said.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte posted, “I’m proud to call Steve a true friend and partner. He made a big impact and his leadership and service to our state will be missed.”