GREAT FALLS — Over the last few weeks, most of the attention in Montana’s U.S. Senate race was focused on whether Democratic candidate Alani Bankhead and independent candidate Seth Bodnar would both remain on the ballot. Republican nominee Kurt Alme told MTN that question hadn’t affected the way he’s approached the campaign.
“We've been out there focusing on our race and focusing on the issues that are important to Montana,” he said.
(Watch the video to hear more from Alme.)
Alme was in Great Falls Thursday, meeting with agriculture and business groups. MTN caught up with him there for the first time since the candidate withdrawal deadline passed – confirming four names will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate: Alme, Bankhead, Bodnar and Libertarian nominee Kyle Austin.
While Bodnar seeks appeal to voters frustrated with the two major parties, Alme paints both him and Bankhead as being Democrats. Alme said he believes Montanans remain supportive of “commonsense conservative” ideas.
“I know that the people in Montana, when I travel around the state, do not want to go back to the destructive Democrat policies that we had under President Biden,” he said. “They don't want to go back to open borders and defunding the police and higher taxes.”
Alme is Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines’ chosen successor, jumping into the race when Daines withdrew just before the filing deadline in March. A former U.S. attorney and state budget director, he has made public safety and reducing taxes centerpieces of his campaign.
Alme told MTN affordability remains one of the biggest concerns for voters. He said the way to address the issue is by reining in government spending, with the goal of slowing inflation. On rising gas prices, he wants to focus on increasing domestic energy production. He supported President Donald Trump taking military actions against Iran as a way to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons, and he says leaders should continue backing Trump as his administration negotiates with Iran on their nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.
Republicans have dominated Montana elections over the last decade, and national election forecasters have projected Alme as the favorite to win in November – especially with Bankhead and Bodnar both staying in the race.
MTN asked Alme if he was interested in debates with the other Senate candidates.
“We need to be able to have the opportunity with all four candidates to put forward our proposals and be sure that the voters know who they're voting for and what we're going to support,” he answered.
