Montana Voters Pick 2026 Nominees for 2 Open Seats as GOP Rift Shapes 150 Legislative Races
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 2
Montana Voters Pick 2026 Nominees for 2 Open Seats as GOP Rift Shapes 150 Legislative Races
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 2
Montana voters head into Tuesday’s primary to choose party nominees for an open U.S. Senate seat and an open House seat after Republican Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke stepped aside.
166,000 ballots had already been cast by Friday, and about 68% of the 2024 primary vote came before Election Day, giving early returns unusual weight once polls close at 8 p.m. MT.
Kurt Alme enters the Senate GOP primary with endorsements from Daines, Donald Trump, Tim Sheehy and Greg Gianforte, while independent Seth Bodnar has outraised every candidate in either party.
Aaron Flint is the establishment-backed Republican in the 1st District race, but several state legislative primaries may draw equal attention as Montana Republicans battle over the 2025 revolt by the 'Nasty Nine.'
Half of Montana’s 50 Senate seats and all 100 House seats are up this cycle, making the primary a test of whether intraparty Republican splits can reshape a state the party usually dominates.