Daines says his stunning exit was designed to avoid 'a very expensive' race
Daines says he left the race before the filing deadline to limit its cost and prevent potential Democratic candidates from entering.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
Yahoo News is an established national news platform, though it publishes a substantial amount of material produced by other outlets. The article identifies its author and presents direct quotations from people on opposing sides of the dispute.
- Source type — Established national news platform, with a mix of original and republished reporting.
- Author attribution — A named author is credited.
- Editorial standards — The publisher has an established editorial operation, although this page does not detail its reporting or corrections process.
- Source diversity — The article quotes Daines, political opponents and campaign representatives.
The article uses direct, attributed comments from Daines and several critics, and supplies relevant campaign context. It offers multiple perspectives but relies heavily on political statements and provides limited independent evidence for the motives and likely effects described.
HOW WE SCORE ↗Daines’s explanation is presented in detail, and the article includes direct criticism from Tester, Bodnar and Olszewski, as well as a Democratic committee spokesperson. The piece gives more space to Daines’s account than to the opposing views.
- Counterarguments presented — Several critics directly challenge Daines’s explanation and tactics.
- Source diversity — Sources include Republican and Democratic figures, candidates and campaign representatives.
- Omitted context — The article provides context on the race but limited independent evidence about the strategy’s consequences.
- Loaded language — Strong terms appear primarily in quotations and are attributed to the speakers.
The article reports Daines’s stated strategy alongside criticism from political opponents and a Democratic campaign spokesperson. Its language is mostly descriptive, with evaluative phrases generally presented as quotations or attributed views.
- Language tone — Mostly reportorial language; sharper characterizations are attributed to sources.
- Source selection — Includes Daines’s account as well as critical responses from Democrats and a Republican candidate.
- Framing — Focuses on the political strategy behind Daines’s withdrawal without adopting a clear partisan verdict.
Republished with credit
Republished from Semafor, with credit to the original publisher.
45 stories · 75–77 · updated Oct 12, 2026
This is Semafor's own score, and this article is credited to Semafor. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.
Steve Daines withdrew from Montana’s Senate race just before the filing deadline, saying he wanted to prevent a costly contest and block potential Democratic candidates. He had worked to line up support for Kurt Alme as his successor, while independent candidate Seth Bodnar entered the race.
Daines told Semafor that his withdrawal was intended to keep the race from becoming an expensive contest and to prevent former Senator Jon Tester and former governors Brian Schweitzer and Steve Bullock from entering. He had worked with the White House to vet Alme and secure unified Republican support. Daines also dismissed Bodnar’s chances; Bodnar criticized the selection of a hand-picked successor as limiting voters’ choices.
Tester disputed Daines’s explanation, while Daines defended the maneuver and compared it to his earlier recruitment of Tim Sheehy. Daines also said he was advising Senate candidates to campaign alongside President Donald Trump. The article describes criticism of Daines’s tactics from House candidate Al Olszewski and quotes a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson about Democrats’ efforts to compete in more states.
Community verdict
22 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 44
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People in this story
SWIPE →Montana senator who withdrew from reelection and backed Kurt Alme as his preferred successor
President who supported Alme and discussed the Senate races with Daines
Former Montana representative mentioned in Daines’s past campaign work
Montana senator mentioned in connection with Daines’s earlier campaign recruitment
Former Montana governor mentioned as a possible Democratic Senate candidate
Former Montana senator who disputed Daines’s explanation
Montana House candidate who criticized Daines’s tactics
Montana governor mentioned in discussion of possible successors
Montana representative whose seat Olszewski is seeking
Independent Montana Senate candidate
Montana Senate candidate whom Daines selected as his preferred successor
Part of a bigger story
23 OUTLETSDaines withdrew from his reelection bid shortly before Montana’s filing deadline. Kurt Alme entered the race around the deadline, and Daines endorsed him as his preferred successor. Left-leaning outlets focus on whether Daines’s timing and endorsement narrowed the primary or kept potential recruits out. Center outlets mainly recount the exit, Alme’s entry and endorsements, while also reporting claims about the effect on competition. Right-leaning outlets generally pair Daines’s departure with his support for Alme, though their coverage also includes criticism of the timing.
- ARTICLES
- 44
- OUTLETS
- 23
- AVG CRED
- 71
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