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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana dropped his bid for reelection to a third term in a surprise withdrawal just minutes before a Wednesday filing deadline for candidates.
Daines, 63, said in a statement that he wrestled with the decision for months before deciding to retire. He said he looked forward to spending time with his seven grandchildren and more time in Montana.
Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who is also a Republican, entered the race shortly before the deadline for major party candidates in the state to file for the November election.
Almost immediately he was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who also praised Daines — and essentially confirmed the senator’s role in engineering Alme to become as his successor.
“Sadly for our Country, Steve’s Term is up,” Trump said, “and he has decided to leave the Senate and, ‘pass the torch’ to Kurt Alme, my TRUMP 45 and TRUMP 47 U.S. Attorney.”
Other lawmakers have also used last-minute withdrawals to set up a handpicked successor. Last fall the House censured Rep. Chuy Garcia, an Illinois Democrat, for how he engineered his retirement and succession plan.
The maneuvering among Republicans in Montana came on the same day that former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar launched an independent campaign for Daines’ seat.
Democrats have been broadly sidelined by the state’s voters in rece...
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