OAN Staff Lillian Mann 5:44 AM – Wednesday, November 4, 2026
President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Kurt Alme has won the Senate seat for Montana, defeating Democrat candidate Alani Bankhead.
On Tuesday, Alme won the race, earning 48.2% of the vote. Independent challenger Seth Bodnar ended with 38.1%, while Bankhead received only 11.9%, according to the Associated Press. The race was called when 83% of the total votes were counted.
"I'm running to protect our Montana way of life with common-sense policies. That means taking care of our veterans, defending the Second Amendment, keeping boys out of girls' sports, supporting farmers and ranchers, protecting public lands, and securing our election," Alme stated.
A Montana native, Alme centered his campaign on affordability, community safety and protecting Montanans' way of life, according to his campaign site.
In July, President Trump expressed his "complete and total endorsement" for Alme, referring to him as one of the "strongest and most conservative Republican candidates in the country."
Trump Truth Social Post
Meanwhile, Bankhead — a former U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served for 21 years — centered her campaign on affordability for working Montanans, rejecting corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) money, and advocating for children, survivors and seniors, according to her campaign website. During her military tenure, her work focused on counterintelligence and federal investigations, including leading task forces targeting human trafficking, terrorism networks and crimes against children.
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