# Kurt Alme **Kurt Alme** is a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana and the 2026 Republican nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring [[Steve Daines]]. He drew the fastest endorsement consolidation of the cycle: [[Donald Trump]] endorsed him on entry, alongside [[Steve Daines]], Gov. [[Greg Gianforte]], and Sen. [[Tim Sheehy]]. ## 2026 Senate race See [[MT-Sen-2026]] for full race context. The seat is rated Solid/Safe R (Sabato moved it from Likely R to Safe R on August 12, 2026, after Democratic nominee [[Alani Bankhead]] declined to withdraw in favor of independent [[Seth Bodnar]]). - **Nomination**: Confirmed Republican nominee after the June 2, 2026 primary. The simultaneous MAGA-and-institutional endorsement wall (Trump + Daines + Gianforte + Sheehy) was "an establishment consensus pick across both lanes — unusual." - **General**: Faces Democrat [[Alani Bankhead]], who won the June 2 DFL-equivalent primary over Reilly Neill. Independent [[Seth Bodnar]] (former University of Montana president, Tester-endorsed) is a dark-horse given Montana's split-ticket history. - The speed of consolidation suggests the Daines retirement — announced minutes before the March 4 filing deadline — was pre-arranged within Montana GOP leadership. ## Background A longtime Montana attorney who served as U.S. Attorney and in state government roles; an institutional-Republican legal figure rather than a movement-MAGA personality. ## Why he matters for the KB Alme is the rare 2026 candidate where MAGA and establishment Republicans coordinated instantly behind one name — a study in how a controlled retirement plus a coordinated endorsement cascade can lock down an open seat before the opposition organizes. The contest also tests Montana's Tester-style independent streak via the Bodnar wildcard. ## Related - [[MT-Sen-2026]] - [[Steve Daines]] - [[Donald Trump]] - [[Greg Gianforte]] - [[Tim Sheehy]]