SENATE RACE
Montana
CANDIDATES
Reilly Neill
Democrat · Challenger
40.5%
538
vs.
Kurt Alme
Republican · Challenger
51.8%
538
Montana's open seat (Tester lost in 2024) features Reilly Neill, a rancher and small-business owner running on public lands and rural broadband, against former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Seth Bodnar, the University of Montana president running as an independent, could play spoiler. Montana's R+17 lean makes this an uphill climb for Democrats, but Neill's focus on public-lands access and Medicaid expansion taps into bread-and-butter issues that cross party lines in rural Montana.
OUTSIDE SPENDING
Pro-D $1.2M
Pro-R $0.8M
Low investment reflects Likely R lean; Bodnar independent bid complicates spending
RECENT POLLS
| Pollster | Date | D% | R% | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSU Billings | 2026-03-10 | 40 | 52 | R+12 |
| PPP | 2026-02-18 | 41 | 50 | R+9 |
| Emerson | 2026-01-30 | 39 | 53 | R+14 |
KEY ISSUES
| Issue / Topic | Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Public Lands | Federal lands protection, access | State management, resource extraction |
| Economy | Rural investment, broadband | Resource development, tax cuts |
| Healthcare | Medicaid expansion, rural hospitals | Market reforms, reduce federal role |
CAMPAIGN FINANCE · FEC
Reilly Neill
- Raised
- $2.4M
- Spent
- $1.2M
- Cash on Hand
- $1.3M
- Small Donors
- 58%
- PAC / Super PAC
- $0.3M
CAMPAIGN FINANCE · FEC
Kurt Alme
- Raised
- $4.1M
- Spent
- $2.3M
- Cash on Hand
- $2.0M
- Small Donors
- 18%
- PAC / Super PAC
- $2.4M
DEMOGRAPHICS · CENSUS
- Population
- 1.12M
- Median Household Income
- $60,560
- White Non-Hispanic
- 85.1%
- Black
- 0.6%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 4.4%
- College Educated (25+)
- 32.8%
- Union Membership
- 11.5%
ELECTION INFO
- Election Date
- November 3, 2026
- Primary Date
- June 2, 2026
- Term Length
- 6 years (Class II)
- Voter Registration Deadline
- October 5, 2026 (late registration at polls available)
- Early Voting
- Yes, absentee voting available