The stage is now set for Montana’s November 3 general election.
One of Tuesday’s most closely watched races will ultimately determine who will replace two-term Republican Sen. Steve Daines. Daines’ handpicked preference, Kurt Alme, coasted to victory, garnering nearly 80% of the vote.
The five-way Democratic ticket, however, drew huge spending from outside groups in support of political unknown Alani Bankhead. In the end she trounced former state lawmaker Reilly Neill by 10 points.
Neill places some of the responsibility for her loss on the Montana press corps.
"The press establishment could have covered this candidate, done some backstory on this candidate who progressed. I understand resources are very, very limited," Neill said.
When asked if she will support the Bankhead Senate campaign, Neill responded, "No. I don’t think so … I don’t know her. I have not seen any evidence of her commitment to Montana or Montanans."
Aaron Flint won as the Republican candidate for the western U.S. House district. In a statement on social media Wednesday, Flint described his nomination as "The honor of a lifetime."
Democrat Sam Forstag secured his nomination to challenge Flint in the western district House race. He defeated Ryan Busse, his closest competitor, by four points. Forstag took to social media Wednesday to thank his supporters and reassert his support for working Montanans.
Incumbent Troy Downing is the GOP candidate for the eastern district by default after running in an uncontested primary. Brian Miller won the Democratic contest in that district.
See all 2026 primary election results
This content is sourced from
Montana Public Radio
. It reflects the author's views and has not been edited by our newsroom. It may have been generated using AI assistance.
