Montana's U.S. Senator Steve Daines joins fellow Republican Ryan Zinke in staging an eleventh hour exit from Congress

With just minutes to go until the Big Sky State’s filing deadline, and the path greased for his successor, United States Senator Steve Daines, R‑Montana, announced that he is not seeking reelection. He has not been a consequential senator, but his withdrawal could have serious consequences for control of the U.S. Senate.

Daines is the sixth Republican senator to hang it up in the 2026 cycle, giving Democrats a better opportunity to flip seats. Four are retiring. Meanwhile, a pair of Trump loyalists in the Solid South, Republicans Tommy Tuberville in Alabama and Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee, are running for governor of their respective states.

The fix is in on the Republican side of the aisle.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme showed up to file, backed by Daines and blessed by a “complete and total” Trump endorsement. Senator Tim Sheehy and Governor Greg Gianforte chimed in, stating that Alme will “help President Trump put America first.”

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/03/montanas-u-s-senator-steve-daines-joins-fellow-republican-ryan-zinke-in-staging-an-eleventh-hour-exit-from-congress.html