Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) announced on March 4, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2026.

In announcing his retirement, Daines said, “Serving the people of Montana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am grateful to God for allowing me to serve. But after much careful thought, I have decided not to seek re-election.”

In 2014, Daines ran for his first term representing Montana in the U.S. Senate after then-Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont.) announced he would not seek re-election. In the general election, he defeated Amanda Curtis (D) 58% to 40%. This was one of four Democratic-held open seats that year that a Republican candidate won. Daines won re-election in 2020 by 10 percentage points.

As of March 3, 2026, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for the district as Solid Republican. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican.

As of March 4, 2026, Daines is one of 63 members of Congress — 10 U.S. senators and 53 U.S. House members — who have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.

Of the senators not running for re-election, nine — Daines, Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) — announced their retirements from public office, while the other, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), is running for governor of Alabama.

Compared to the last four election cycles, there were eight Senate retirement announcements at this point in 2024, six in 2022, four in 2020, and three in 2018.

Between January 2011 and March 2026, 52 U.S. Senate incumbents announced they would not seek re-election. During that period, an average of three incumbents announced their retirement plans each year. January had the highest number of members announcing they would not run for re-election at 12. The fewest announcements took place in April, June, July, August, and December at one each.