Montana voters have elected Republican Kurt Alme as the state’s next U.S. senator, following a four-way race that saw many twists and turns.
With 31 percent of precincts reporting, Alme had 47 percent of the vote, followed Independent Seth Bodnar with 39 percent. Democrat Alani Bankhead collected 12 percent, and Libertarian Kyle Austin had 2 percent.
Bodnar conceded the race, saying in a statement that losing "stings" but his campaign proved an Independent can compete with the two major parties. The Associated Press has not called the race as of 12:30 a.m.
Alme, 60, is the former U.S. attorney for Montana – the top federal prosecutor in the state. He campaigned on his lifelong connections across the state and on his experience as an attorney and as state budget director.
"Starting right now, my job is simple. I fight for you. Here's my commitment. I will fight to make life more affordable, I will fight to make our community safer, and I will fight to protect our Montana way of life," Alme said in speech to supporters.
Watch Alme's full speech:
The Senate race went through a series of shakeups since the start of the year. Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was initially set to run for a third six-year term, but he pulled out of the election minutes before the deadline, throwing his support behind Alme. Bodnar’s independent campaign drew support from many prominent Democrats, leading to a divide within the party. There was extensive debate among Democrats during the summer about whether either Bodnar or Bankhead should drop out of the race to avoid splitting the vote.
National political analysts projected Alme as the favorite to win the seat. The race saw spending from both candidates and outside groups, but not at the level Montana experienced during the Senate elections in 2018, 2020 or 2024.
