4 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Aggressive prosecution of drug trafficking and violent crime, particularly methamphetamine, opioid and fentanyl networks.
Tax relief for Montana families.
Balanced budgets.
Keeping the seat in Republican hands and supporting President Trump's agenda.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, 2017–2020 and from 2025.
Montana state revenue director, where he says he cut taxes; and state budget director, where he says he helped deliver a balanced budget.
Filed for the Senate seat on March 4 2026; Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from the race three minutes later and endorsed him, as did President Trump.
Won the June 2 2026 Republican primary with 76.1%, about 128,716 votes.
Has never held elected office.
Arguments in favor
As President Trump's U.S. Attorney he led aggressive efforts against drug trafficking and violent crime, targeting the methamphetamine and opioid networks flooding Montana with fentanyl.
— Kurt Alme for Senate campaign
As state revenue director he cut taxes for Montana families and as budget director he helped deliver a balanced budget — an executive record rather than a legislative one.
— Kurt Alme for Senate campaign
He was endorsed immediately by both the outgoing senator and President Trump and took 76% of the primary vote.
— Sen. Steve Daines and President Donald Trump, as reported by the Daily Montanan
Arguments against
The way he became the nominee — filing three minutes before the incumbent withdrew and handed him the seat — was a manoeuvre that denied Montana Republicans a real choice, and it drew criticism from members of both parties.
— Members of both parties, as reported by the Daily Montanan and Montana Free Press
He has run a deliberately low-profile campaign, avoiding the public scrutiny a Senate candidate should face.
— Montana Free Press reporting on his campaign
He has never been elected to anything, and would arrive in the Senate owing his position to the senator who arranged his succession.
— Criticism of the Daines handover reported by Montana Free Press
What we couldn’t verify
His positions on public lands, health care and agriculture — the issues that usually decide Montana races — could not be established from sources located.
Government that works for all Montanans rather than the top 1%.
Representing Montanans with 'five dollars in their pocket and a whole lot of heart' rather than billionaires or corporate interests.
A grassroots challenge to both party establishments and to big money in politics.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.
Leadership coach.
Won the June 2 2026 Democratic primary with 43.6%, about 48,772 votes, in a five-candidate field.
Publicly refused in August 2026 to withdraw from the race despite pressure to consolidate behind the independent candidate: 'I'll never bow down.'
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
She is running for Montanans with 'five dollars in their pocket and a whole lot of heart,' not for billionaires or corporate interests, and has framed her campaign as a challenge to both party establishments.
— Alani Bankhead for Senate campaign
She won a contested five-way primary outright, and brings a career as a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel to a state with a large veteran population.
— Alani Bankhead for Senate campaign, and Montana Free Press reporting
She is the only nominee of either major party who was actually chosen by voters in a competitive primary rather than handed the nomination.
— Alani Bankhead for Senate campaign framing, as reported by the Daily Montanan
Arguments against
By refusing to leave the race she splits the vote against the Republican nominee and likely improves Republicans' chances of holding the seat.
— The Hill's reporting on the pressure campaign against her candidacy
She has never held elected office and won her primary with under 44% in a fragmented field.
— Reporting by Montana Free Press on the four-way race
The people urging her out of the race include figures in her own party who judge that she cannot win, which they treat as a reason her candidacy serves no purpose.
— Montana Democrats and allies of the independent candidate, as reported by the Daily Montanan
What we couldn’t verify
Her detailed positions on public lands, health care, agriculture and energy; very little policy detail could be located.
Who specifically pressed her to withdraw and on what terms.
Her campaign fundraising, and whether national Democratic committees are supporting her.
Governing outside the two-party system — 'this country is in crisis, and our national political parties are failing us.'
Bridging divides with what he calls commonsense solutions.
Standing up to political elites in Washington.
Answering to Montana rather than to national party bosses or D.C. insiders.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
President of the University of Montana, 2018–2026; resigned to run for the Senate.
Former U.S. Army Special Forces officer — a Green Beret.
Former business executive.
Qualified for the November ballot as an independent with roughly 30,000 petition signatures across 52 of Montana's 56 counties.
Backed by former Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
Montanans deserve a leader who bridges divides with commonsense solutions and answers only to Montana, not to national party bosses or D.C. insiders.
— Seth Bodnar for Montana campaign
He brings an unusual combination for a first-time candidate — Green Beret, business executive, and eight years running the state's flagship university.
— Seth Bodnar for Montana campaign
He got on the ballot the hard way, gathering about 30,000 signatures across 52 counties without a party organisation behind him.
— Montana Free Press and Montana Public Radio reporting on his ballot qualification
Arguments against
He and Jon Tester have engineered a scenario in which an independent splits the non-Republican vote and hands the seat to the Republican nominee.
— Montana Democrats, as reported by Montana Free Press
Tester's apparent backing of him over the eventual Democratic nominee angered Democrats in Montana, who see it as a former senator undercutting his own party's candidate.
— Montana Democrats, as reported by Montana Free Press
He has never held elected office and has not said which party he would caucus with, leaving voters unable to know what his election would mean for control of the Senate.
— Criticism reported by Montana Free Press and the Daily Montanan
What we couldn’t verify
Which party he would caucus with, which determines what his election would mean for Senate control; no statement from him on this was located.
His positions on public lands, health care, abortion and agriculture.
Supports US military action in Iran and the Middle East where he judges it necessary to protect Americans — the position his party objects to.
Describes himself as holding Libertarian views, while not adopting the whole platform.
His positions on domestic policy could not be established from sources located.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Pharmacist.
Previously a Republican candidate for Montana's 2nd congressional district.
Won the Libertarian Senate primary on June 2 2026 with 53.3%, about 1,819 votes, over Tom Jandron.
Was disavowed by the Montana Libertarian Party despite winning its nomination.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
He genuinely holds Libertarian views, though not all of them, and the party supported his candidacy before changing course.
— Kyle Austin
The party is bitter about the primary result and is obliged to follow its own bylaws, which he says it has not.
— Kyle Austin
He won the Libertarian nomination outright, taking 53.3% against Tom Jandron in the June 2 primary.
— June 2 2026 Montana primary result, NBC News
Arguments against
He is a bad-faith actor running as a Libertarian only to take advantage of the party's statewide ballot access, and is a phony candidate.
— Montana Libertarian Party
Party evaluators found he lacked ideological grounding and a weak understanding of core Libertarian priorities including monetary policy, entitlement spending, subsidies and non-interventionism.
— Montana Libertarian Party, reported by the Daily Montanan
He supports US military involvement in Iran and the Middle East where needed to protect Americans, which is incompatible with the party's opposition to wars of choice.
— Montana Libertarian Party
What we couldn’t verify
His positions on most domestic issues, including monetary policy, entitlements and subsidies — the areas his party said he was weak on.
Whether he is actively campaigning, and his fundraising.
Whether the dispute with the Montana Libertarian Party has any effect on his ballot line.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Open seat, and an unusual one. Republican incumbent Steve Daines had announced he would seek a third term, then withdrew on the March 4 2026 filing deadline, minutes after Kurt Alme filed at 4:52 p.m. — eight minutes before filing closed — and immediately endorsed him. The manoeuvre drew criticism from members of both parties. This is the first open Senate election in Montana since 1976.
Roster established from Montana Free Press, the Daily Montanan, Montana Public Radio, NBC News and Ballotpedia, cross-checked. In the June 2 2026 primaries Alme won the Republican nomination with 76.1% over Lee Calhoun and Charles WalkingChild; Alani Bankhead won a five-candidate Democratic primary with 43.6% over Reilly Neill (33.0%), Michael Black Wolf (13.1%) and two others; Kyle Austin won the Libertarian primary with 53.3% over Tom Jandron, and was subsequently disavowed by the Montana Libertarian Party, which called him a bad-faith candidate running to use its ballot access; he disputes this. Seth Bodnar qualified for the ballot as an independent by collecting roughly 30,000 signatures across 52 counties, without a primary.
This is a genuine four-way contest and the vote-splitting question is the central argument in the race, so it appears in the arguments for and against several candidates.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Montana ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.