Full profile
Montana’s contested 2026 U.S. Senate race includes 13 candidates: Tom Jandron, Christopher Kehoe, Kurt Alme, Kate Mclaughlin, Kyle Austin, Reilly Neill, Alani Ines Bankhead, Charles SR Walkingchild, Michael James Mr. Blackwolf, Seth Bodnar, Lee Calhoun, Steve Daines and Michael Hummert. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
The field includes six Democrats, four Republicans, two Libertarians and one independent. Alme is one of the four Republican candidates. Steve Daines, also a Republican candidate, is the incumbent.
Kurt Alme and the Senate field
Alme is running as a Republican in the Montana U.S. Senate contest. His party designation places him alongside three other Republican candidates: Walkingchild, Calhoun and Daines.
The Democratic candidates are Kehoe, Mclaughlin, Neill, Bankhead, Blackwolf and Hummert. Jandron and Austin are the two Libertarian candidates. Bodnar is running as an independent.
The race is identified as contested, with candidates from four different political affiliations. Each person in the field is seeking a place in the same U.S. Senate election scheduled for November 2026.
Candidate-by-candidate overview
- Tom Jandron — Libertarian. Jandron is one of two Libertarian candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Christopher Kehoe — Democrat. Kehoe is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Kurt Alme — Republican. Alme is one of four Republican candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Kate Mclaughlin — Democrat. Mclaughlin is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Kyle Austin — Libertarian. Austin is one of two Libertarian candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Reilly Neill — Democrat. Neill is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Alani Ines Bankhead — Democrat. Bankhead is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Charles SR Walkingchild — Republican. Walkingchild is one of four Republican candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Michael James Mr. Blackwolf — Democrat. Blackwolf is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Seth Bodnar — Independent. Bodnar is the independent candidate in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Lee Calhoun — Republican. Calhoun is one of four Republican candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Steve Daines — Republican. Daines is the incumbent and one of four Republican candidates in the contested race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
- Michael Hummert — Democrat. Hummert is one of six Democratic candidates in Montana’s contested U.S. Senate race scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Party composition
Democrats make up the largest group in the 13-candidate field, with six candidates. Republicans account for four candidates, including Alme and incumbent Daines. Two candidates are running with the Libertarian designation, while one is running as an independent.
Those labels identify how each candidate is listed in the race. The entire field is competing in the same Montana U.S. Senate election.
Election date
Montana’s 2026 U.S. Senate general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The contest will determine who holds the Senate seat after that election.
Until Election Day, the central process questions include whether the candidate field changes and what election information Montana publishes for voters. The listed field remains evenly divided across 13 individual candidacies, each with a stated political affiliation.
