GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana says he won't seek re-election
Alme entered the race shortly before the filing deadline and received endorsements from Daines and Trump.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates AOL.com, which carries this article. The other scores rate the article itself. AOL.com's published outlet score.
Credibility rates AOL.com, which carries this article. The other scores rate the article itself. AOL.com's published outlet score.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report gives a clear chronology and cites state records and named statements, while including criticism of Daines’s late withdrawal. It offers limited independent context about the candidates or their positions beyond the race announcement.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article gives Daines’s and Alme’s statements and includes a direct challenge from Bodnar, alongside filing records and race context. It does not include a response to Bodnar’s criticism or comments from the Democratic candidates.
- Counterarguments presented — Bodnar’s criticism provides a contrasting view of Daines’s decision.
- Source diversity — Includes the principal figures’ statements, a rival candidate’s response and official filing information.
- Omitted context — No Democratic candidate or independent expert comments on the race are included.
- Loaded language — Loaded descriptions appear in quoted remarks rather than in the reporter’s voice.
The article reports the withdrawal, endorsements and criticism in straightforward language, attributing both praise and criticism to the people who made them. No discernible partisan framing dominates.
- Language tone — Mostly factual wording; sharply critical language appears in an attributed Bodnar quote.
- Source selection — Includes statements from Daines, Alme, Trump and a competing candidate.
- Framing — Centers on the timing of Daines’s withdrawal and the open-seat race without endorsing a side.
Also carried by
The same article also appears on NBC News. Which outlet published it first has not been determined.
Steve Daines announced he will not seek re-election, withdrawing shortly before Montana’s filing deadline and backing U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme to replace him. Alme has also received President Donald Trump’s endorsement, setting up a competitive contest for the open seat.
Daines said he had wrestled with the decision for months, but withdrew his filing shortly before the deadline and confirmed his decision after it passed. He endorsed Kurt Alme, who filed to run shortly before the deadline and announced his candidacy Wednesday. Daines praised Alme’s work on crime and fentanyl trafficking. Alme said he would advocate for Montana and help President Trump put America First. Trump endorsed Alme and praised Daines for “passing the torch” to him.
Independent candidate Seth Bodnar criticized Daines for withdrawing at the last minute and backing a handpicked successor. Four Democrats have also launched campaigns, and the article describes Alme as the front-runner for the open seat.
Community verdict
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People in this story
SWIPE →Montana senator withdrawing from the re-election race and endorsing Kurt Alme
Daines's version of this story ↗Democratic Senate candidate
President who endorsed Alme
Democratic Senate candidate
Montana governor whom Daines defeated in the 2020 Senate election
Democratic Senate candidate
Former Montana senator whose re-election bid Trump defeated in 2024
Illinois representative cited in an example of a late filing move
Independent Senate candidate criticizing Daines’s withdrawal and endorsement
Part of a bigger story
11 OUTLETSOutlets agree Steve Daines withdrew from Montana’s Senate race shortly before the filing deadline, and Kurt Alme filed to run; Daines endorsed Alme. Left-leaning outlets present the timing as potentially coordinated to give Alme an advantage and keep a prominent Democrat out of the primary. Center outlets mostly recount the withdrawal, filing and endorsements, while some examine claims about limiting Democratic recruitment and the effect on the contest. Right-leaning outlets emphasize Alme’s entry and Daines’s endorsement, with coverage also noting Trump’s endorsement.
- ARTICLES
- 23
- OUTLETS
- 11
- AVG CRED
- 75
- Los Angeles Times · Montana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines drops reelection bid in surprise move
- AOL.com · GOP Sen. Steve Daines' last-minute withdrawal from Senate race was meant to block Democrats from fielding a top-tier recruit
- United Press International · Montana Sen. Steve Daines won't seek re-election
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