Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines ended his reelection marketing campaign out of the blue on Wednesday in a transfer that left a political ally as the one main candidate in the GOP major.
The announcement got here as filing closed for the race and President Donald Trump was fast to endorse a successor, saying on social media that Daines had determined to “pass the torch” to Kurt Alme, who had filed for the seat eight minutes earlier than the deadline.
The timing of the announcement rapidly drew criticism from one other candidate in the race, impartial Seth Bodnar, who mentioned in an announcement that Daines “has so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box.”
Alme touted endorsements from Trump and Daines in a press launch Wednesday night saying his last-minute entry into the race.
Daines’ exit from the race was surprising. The two-term GOP senator was elected to the Senate in 2014 and went on to win reelection in 2020 towards former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. He additionally beforehand ran the Senate GOP’s marketing campaign arm and labored intently with Trump and his group to assist Republicans take again management of the higher chamber in 2024. He is near the Senate’s management and an in depth ally of the president.
“Serving the people of Montana in the US House and the US Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career,” Daines mentioned in a video launched on social media.
“I’m grateful to God for allowing me to serve, but after much careful thought. I’ve decided not to seek reelection,” he added.
Trump mentioned in a put up on social media that “Steve Daines, of Montana, is one of our truly Great United States Senators. He honorably served for 12 years in the Senate, and 2 in the House of Representatives. He did a job like few others are capable of doing but, sadly for our Country, Steve’s 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 November final yr, Illinois Democrat Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia introduced his retirement shortly after his state’s filing deadline — after his chief of workers had declared her personal candidacy, setting the staffer up as the one Democrat operating in a major for a deep-blue Chicago seat.
The transfer prompted a proper reprimand from the House amid accusations Garcia had been making an attempt to select his alternative.