The 2026 U.S. Senate race for Montana experienced two last-minute surprises from Republican candidates on Wednesday.U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has opted not to run for re-election in 2026. Daines' withdrawal of his candidacy was rec eived by the Montana Secretary of State's Office at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday, just minutes before the filing deadline closed.WATCH: Daines will not seek reelection Montana's US Senate race: Daines out, Alme inDaines was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, and re-elected in 2020.In a news release, Daines said: "Serving the people of Montana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career and I am grateful to God for allowing me to serve. After wrestling with this decision for months, I have decided I will not seek re-election. It is time for a new leaders like Tim Sheehy to spearhead the fight for Montana in the United States Senate."At 4:52 p.m., the Secretary of State's Office received paperwork from Kurt Alme, who is entering the race for the U.S. Senate.Alme has served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana since March 2025. He also served in that role from 2017 until 2020. In between, he was Gov. Greg Gianforte's budget director.In his news release, Daines said that he is supporting Alme to succeed him in the U.S. Senate: I've known Kurt Alme for years. He was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Trump in his first term and then reappointed when President Trump was reelected because he did such a good job cracking down on crime."Alme confirmed his candidacy in a news release later Wednesday evening.We have made real progress under President Trump's policies prioritizing public safety, supporting law enforcement, and delivering results for Montanans, said Alme. We need proven doers in Washington who will stand up for our values without apology. Im running for Senate to be a relentless advocate for Montana and to help President Trump put America First. President Donald Trump quickly gave an endorsement to Alme on Truth Social.[S]adly for our Country, Steves Term is up, and he has decided to leave the Senate and, 'pass the torch' to Kurt Alme, my TRUMP 45 and TRUMP 47 U.S. Attorney. In fact, if Kurt didnt have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is but, Kurt is exceptional, Trump wrote. The U.S. Senate race already got a shake-up Wednesday morning when former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar announced he was running as an independent. Bodnar criticized Daines' move in a statement, saying it showed a lack of respect for voters.Two other Republican Senate candidates also filed Wednesday and will now face Alme in the primary: Lee Calhoun of Whitefish and Charles Walking Child of Helena.Five Democrats are running in the U.S. Senate race: Reilly Neill, of Livingston, a former state representative and a 2024 write-in candidate for U.S. House; Michael Black Wolf, of Hays, the Fort Belknap Indian Community tribal historic preservation officer; Michael Hummert, of Helena, who ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate against Sen. Jon Tester in 2024; Alani Bankhead, of Helena, an Air Force veteran and leadership coach; and the newest candidate, Christopher Kehoe, of Missoula, who filed on Wednesday.Two Libertarian candidates will be running for Senate: Kyle Austin, of Billings, and Tom Jandron, of Clancy.Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Kurt Alme and from President Donald Trump, and more information on the other candidates running for the Senate. ...read more read less