Montana
A look at the GOP field for U.S. Senate in Montana
HELENA — The race for the Republican nomination in Montana’s U.S. Senate race wasn’t expected to get much attention – until everything changed a few minutes before the filing deadline. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Kurt Alme, Montana’s former U.S. attorney.
(Watch the video to hear from the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate.)
A look at the GOP field for U.S. Senate in Montana
Alme told MTN he first learned Daines was considering leaving the Senate only a few days before the end of the state’s candidate filing period.
“Sen. Daines called and shared that he and Cindy would like to retire, but they were concerned about losing the seat and the Senate to the Democrats, so he said he would only step down if someone like me would agree to step up and run,” he said. “So because of the importance of maintaining the seat for the Republicans, I told the senator that if he were to decide to retire, that we would be interested in stepping up.”
Alme resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on March 4, the last day of candidate filing. He officially filed to run for Senate at 4:52 p.m., eight minutes before the deadline. Daines withdrew his candidacy at 4:57 p.m., then quickly endorsed Alme. Alme also received support from Montana’s other U.S. senator, Sen. Tim Sheehy, as well as from Gov. Greg Gianforte.
MTN asked Alme if he felt there was any frustration from voters over the last-minute switch. He echoed Daines’ explanation of the move, saying it was intended to keep a big-name Democratic candidate like former Sen. Jon Tester or former Gov. Steve Bullock from entering the race and bringing in large amounts of campaign spending.
“All I’m focusing on is the race we have in front of us and trying to get to the finish line and be sure we represent the people of Montana well, and do everything we can to earn their vote,” said Alme.
Jonathon Ambarian
Alme, 59, was born in Great Falls and lived in Dillon, Victor and Helena before graduating high school in Miles City. Today he lives in Billings. He describes himself as a “commonsense conservative.” This is his first time running for elected office, though he has spent a number of years working in government – and he says he’ll lean on that experience as he pursues his policy priorities.
Trump appointed Alme as Montana’s U.S. attorney in 2017, and he served through the end 2020. When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he reappointed him.
“This last year, we had focused our team on violent criminals and drug traffickers, and we had prosecuted more defendants last year than we had prosecuted in more than 20 years,” he said.
In addition to public safety, Alme says he’s also prepared to tackle affordability. He served as director of the Montana Department of Revenue under Gov. Judy Martz in the early 2000s, and he was Gianforte’s first state budget director in 2021.
“I learned how to balanced budgets, and I learned how to put money back into the pockets of Montanans,” he said.
Alme also spent time as president of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation and as an executive vice president with the National Christian Foundation.
While Alme comes into the Senate race with by far the most backing from top Republicans, it is still a contested primary for the GOP nomination. Two other Republican candidates also filed to run on the afternoon of March 4.
Jonathon Ambarian
Lee Calhoun, a political newcomer from Whitefish, filed when Daines was still in the race. He told MTN he wanted to challenge Daines because he believed the senator’s policies favored big business. While Daines’ decision to drop out took away his biggest reason for running, he said the candidate switch led him to believe Alme wouldn’t be significantly different.
“A lot of people in Montana are really not pleased with that well-orchestrated song and dance that was pulled off,” said Calhoun.
However, Calhoun admits his chance of being elected is “very slim.” He says he has essentially suspended active campaigning, because he wasn’t able to find the campaign staff to support a more robust run. His campaign website is merely a blank page reading “Coming Soon,” and he says he won’t be fundraising or holding campaign events.
Still, Calhoun’s name will be on the ballot, and he says people are welcome to vote for him if they share his point of view.
“At the end of the day, since I’m not owned by anyone or any organization at this point, it would be an opportunity for the people of Montana to have a U.S. senator that’s not owned by people who are more like the modern-day Copper Kings,” he said.
Calhoun, 75, grew up in Pennsylvania. He moved to Montana about 10 years ago. In Whitefish, he started Northstone Solar, which designs and installs solar-energy systems for homes and businesses. He has since sold the business to one of his employees.
Calhoun calls himself an “Eisenhower Republican” and says he’s disagreed with the direction of the party for years. He believes the current tax structure favors the upper class and large corporations at the expense of the middle class and small businesses. He also wants the U.S. to move toward a universal health care system. Jonathon Ambarian
If elected, Calhoun says he would serve only one term.
The third Republican on the ballot will be Charles Walking Child, of Helena. Walking Child operates an environmental contracting business. He has previously run in the Republican primaries for Montana’s eastern U.S. House seat in 2022 and U.S. Senate in 2024.
Walking Child has said he sees both major parties as failing to represent everyday Montanans, and that current elected Republicans are too focused on the wealthy.
MTN reached out to Walking Child for this story. He said he “will be giving no interviews, especially to fake news.”
The winner of the Republican primary will move on to the general election, along with one of five Democratic candidates and one of two Libertarians. An independent candidate is also seeking to qualify for the general election ballot.
Alani Bankhead, running for the U.S. Senate, launched an attack Monday on the University of Montana campus against independent candidate Seth Bodnar, its former president.
Bankhead, who won the Democratic nomination for Senate on June 2, argued Bodnar did not have the capacity to lead and still “deflects” responsibility for gender discrimination allegations in a lawsuit settled in 2024.
Bankhead made her arguments at a campaign event on the heels of a primary win many considered a surprise. Her remarks drew a small crowd to campus and a handful of media.
Behind her, supporters held signs with allegations from the lawsuit.
“Under President Bodnar’s leadership and in violation of UM’s policies and federal law, women’s choices and actions were unreasonably contradicted and questioned,” said one.
In her speech, Bankhead invoked Jeannette Rankin, a Montanan who in 1916 was the first woman elected to Congress.
“Jeannette wouldn’t stand for anyone who discriminates to be in a leadership position,” Bankhead said.
The gender discrimination lawsuit was filed in 2021 against the Montana University System and UM, and it resulted in a $350,000 settlement.
Bodnar led UM for eight years until stepping down this year to run for office. His campaign said he made equity a priority at UM and promoted women.
Bankhead is a 21-year military veteran and graduate of Air War College of the U.S. Air Force.
Bankhead said Rankin noted she “would be nastier” if she had her life to live over, and “in Jeannette’s honor, I’m about to get nasty.”
She repeated allegations in the lawsuit that Bodnar told a UM employee “her weight prevented her from being the face of the University of Montana” and that one of the 18 plaintiffs in the lawsuit “was forced to work with her stalker.”
In a response at the time, UM described the allegations in the lawsuit as “inflammatory,” “argumentative assertions,” and “not statements of fact.”
The lawsuit was settled before the allegations were substantiated or dismissed by the court.
In a statement Monday, Bodnar’s campaign said that he elevated women at the flagship; when he arrived on campus, just one academic dean was a woman, but seven of 13 were women when he left.
Bankhead, fueled by outside money including more than $2.5 million by the Progressive Vet Political Action Committee, surprised many Montanans by winning the Democratic nomination in the primary.
Monday, the same day Bankhead leveled her criticisms, Bodnar announced a slate of endorsements across the political spectrum, including from former Gov. Marc Racicot, a Republican, to former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat.
Bodnar has heavily outraised his opponents.
But Sabato’s Crystal Ball projects the U.S. Senate race in Montana is likely to go to the Republican, Kurt Alme, former U.S. Attorney for Montana and recruit of outgoing U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.
Bankhead pointed to Bodnar’s experience in the U.S. military and as a West Point graduate as reason he should know it’s important as a leader to be accountable and admit mistakes to build trust and credibility.
“This is not about blame,” Bankhead said. “It’s about maintaining trust, demonstrating moral courage, and ensuring that leaders are seen as responsible stewards of their units and their missions.”
One person asked Bankhead how she planned to win having raised just $23,000 in her campaign given the millions going to her opponents.
Bankhead said critics dismissed her in the primary, but she won anyway. She also said Montanans don’t want politicians who are bought and paid for.
Bankhead has repeatedly been asked if she will step down to clear the way for Bodnar, who could appeal to some Republican voters in a red state. She’s vowed to stay in the race.
Monday, Bankhead said Montana Democratic Party bylaws state the party must have a candidate on the ballot, so Bodnar should drop out as the independent.
“If dropping out was the right move to pave the way for a better candidate, I would absolutely do it because the stakes are so high,” Bankhead said. “But Seth Bodnar is absolutely the last person on the face of this earth I would ever drop out of this race for.”
KALISPELL – A 28-year-old Helena man was killed after being struck by a pickup truck while walking on U.S. Highway 2 near Kalispell.
The Montana Highway Patrol reports the incident happened Saturday, just before 3 a.m. at mile marker 117.
The man, whose name was not released, was struck while walking on a section of the highway that has no shoulders and was wearing all dark clothing, the patrol report states.
The pickup truck, driven by an 18-year-old woman from Eureka, was westbound on the highway when the driver activated the high beams, illuminating the pedestrian in the lane.
The truck hit the pedestrian on the front driver’s side bumper.
The driver of the truck stopped to wait for emergency responders, the patrol report states.
All four occupants of the truck were wearing seat belts and escaped injury, although the report indicates that the driver was taken to a hospital in Kalispell.
The passengers in the truck included a 16-year-old girl from Kalispell, a 20-year-old man also from Kalispell, and a 17-year-old girl whose residence was unknown, according to the patrol report.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 14 drawing
02-10-14-23, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 14 drawing
03-06-16-18-48, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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