There are more than 19 months until the 2026 elections, but candidates are spinning up their campaign operations left and right.
The latest of those machinations came on Tuesday when President Donald Trump endorsed Montana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines on Truth Social, reports the Daily Montanan.
“Steve Daines is a Great Man, and TREMENDOUS Senator, representing the Fantastic People of Montana. I love Montana, won every one of my Races there by a landslide, and would only recommend the best to represent you in the Senate!” the president wrote.
“Senator Steve Daines, of the Great State of Montana, has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Daines is Montana’s senior senator, following the election of Republican Tim Sheehy last November. Since 2023 he has served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), helping elect Republicans nationwide, including elevating Sheehy to victory over former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
After first winning his seat in Congress in 2014 with 57.8% of the vote, Daines ran for re-election in 2020, facing termed-out Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Daines defeated Bullock with 55.01% of the vote that year.
While Daines has not yet officially announced his re-election, he thanked Trump for his endorsement on X, formerly Twitter, and is actively fundraising based on Federal Election Commission filings. Currently, FEC filings for the Steve Daines for Montana committee show he has $2.4 million in cash on hand, with nearly $1 million in contributions during the first quarter of the year.
Montana used to be considered a purple state with Democrats serving in statewide elected offices for more than a century until the 2024 election. President Trump carried the state in all three of his elections, winning with increasingly high margins of 56.17%, 56.92%, and 58.39%.
Trump visited Montana in 2024 to campaign for Sheehy, drawing thousands of people to a rally in Bozeman.
Currently there are no clear frontrunners from the Democratic party to challenge Daines’ re-election.
