2026年4月6日 美国东部时间下午5:00 / 福克斯新闻
戴恩斯曾告知阿尔梅，只有像他这样的人站出来保住该席位不落入民主党之手，他才会退休
作者：亚历克斯·米勒，福克斯新闻
福克斯新闻独家首发： 蒙大拿州将迎来一位新的联邦参议员，来自蒙大拿州的共和党议员史蒂夫·戴恩斯宣布退出政坛。他选定的继任者明确表示，自己获选就是为了阻止民主党拿下该席位。
前联邦检察官库尔特·阿尔梅在最后时刻由戴恩斯钦点接替他的职位，而他对此毫无顾虑，眼下共和党正试图在中期选举期间保住参议院多数席位——这类选举历来都是对执政党和在任总统的全民公投。
“我清楚共和党守住参议院席位有多重要，所以我告诉他，如果他决定退休，我愿意参选，”阿尔梅在接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访时说道。
特朗普核心盟友史蒂夫·戴恩斯退出蒙大拿州参议院竞选，计划退休
前美国地区检察官库尔特·阿尔梅深知，自己获选接替即将卸任的蒙大拿州共和党议员史蒂夫·戴恩斯，就是为了维持共和党在参议院的多数席位，他准备凭借自身资历将“宝藏之州”蒙大拿继续保留在红色阵营。（阿尔梅竞选团队供图）
戴恩斯当时正谋求参议院第三个任期，于3月初退出竞选，就在蒙大拿州的登记截止日期临近之际，他撤回了参选资格。就在他宣布退选的同时，阿尔梅随即宣布参选。
这一举动遭到了戴恩斯在该州的对手以及华盛顿民主党人的强烈批评，但阿尔梅称，这一计划旨在维护参议院的权力平衡。
前蒙大拿大学校长赛斯·博德纳尔在戴恩斯退选数小时前以独立候选人身份宣布参选，他在X平台上表示，这位议员“对蒙大拿州共和党人毫无尊重，在最后时刻退选，直接钦定自己的继任者，而非让选民在投票箱前发出自己的声音”。
“这就是华盛顿政客及其政党老板令人作呕的傲慢，他们像交换糖果一样来回交易权力，而蒙大拿州民众却在高通胀和更少的发展机会中苦苦挣扎，”博德纳尔说道。
10场可能决定2026年中期选举参议院控制权的参议院竞选
蒙大拿州联邦参议员史蒂夫·戴恩斯，共和党籍，计划在本届任期结束后退休，开放这一“大天空之州”的参议员席位，共和党正努力保住对参议院的掌控。（汤姆·威廉姆斯/CQ罗尔呼叫公司供图）
这一举动符合戴恩斯的行事风格，他已成为华盛顿最精明的政治操盘手之一，并在2024年选举周期担任全国共和党参议员委员会主席期间，为共和党拿下参议院多数席位发挥了关键作用。
“事情的经过是这样的：在登记截止日期前几天，戴恩斯参议员给我打了电话，说他想退休，但不想让参议院席位和民主党人手中，”阿尔梅说。“他说，只有知道像我这样的人会站出来保住共和党手中的席位，他才会退休。”
“于是，在登记截止日当天早上，他通知我，如果我参选，他就会退选。所以我辞去了联邦检察官的职务并宣布参选，如今有了特朗普总统的背书，我们正全速推进竞选活动，”他补充道。
阿尔梅迅速获得了唐纳德·特朗普总统、蒙大拿州州长格雷格·吉安福尔特以及可能成为他未来同事的蒙大拿州共和党参议员蒂姆·希伊的背书。这并不意外，考虑到特朗普曾两次任命阿尔梅担任该州联邦检察官，且他此前曾担任吉安福尔特的预算主管。
特朗普在Truth Social平台上表示：“如果库尔特没有最高水平的能力和天赋，史蒂夫会待在原位不动。”
舒默、杰弗里斯起诉特朗普，指控其试图“操纵”邮寄投票
唐纳德·特朗普总统将3月份就业报告的积极表现归功于他的经济政策。（奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂图片社供图）
“但库尔特非常出色，基于史蒂夫的强烈推荐，我将给他最全面、最彻底的背书，”特朗普说道。
尽管特朗普在2024年大选中以近20个百分点的优势赢得蒙大拿州，且在三次总统竞选中均以两位数优势获胜，但阿尔梅跻身参议院并非板上钉钉。
他将在全州三方竞选中对阵独立候选人博德纳尔，以及预计的民主党提名候选人、前蒙大拿州众议员赖利·尼尔，尼尔认为戴恩斯的退选将为自己带来助力。
“他的退选为参议院竞选打开了局面，这对蒙大拿州来说是个好消息，”尼尔说道。
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不过，阿尔梅正凭借自身资历向蒙大拿州选民拉票，尤其是在恢复“财政纪律”和延续特朗普政府打击犯罪的政策方面。
“我必须走出去证明自己的实力，我必须赢得民众的选票，”阿尔梅说。
“我们认为，共和党纲领——当然还有特朗普总统的执政方式——在蒙大拿州是赢家，”他继续说道。“我们相信，如果我们坚守保守派根基，无论对手是谁，我们都能表现出色。”
亚历克斯·米勒是福克斯新闻数字频道记者，负责报道美国参议院事务。
Steve Daines’ handpicked Senate successor Kurt Alme vows to keep Montana in Republican hands in 2026
April 6, 2026 5:00pm EDT / Fox News
Daines told Alme he’d only retire if someone like him would step up to keep the seat in Republican hands
By Alex Miller, Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: Montana will again have a new face coming to the Senate, with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., bowing out. His chosen successor knows he was picked to stop Democrats from taking the seat.
Former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme was handpicked by Daines at the last minute to replace him, and he has no qualms about it as Republicans try to maintain their majority in the upper chamber in a midterm election cycle that is historically a referendum on the party — and president — in control.
“Knowing how important it was for Republicans to hold the Senate, I told him if he decided to retire, I would be interested,” Alme told Fox News Digital in an interview.
TOP TRUMP ALLY STEVE DAINES EXITS MONTANA SENATE RACE, PLANS TO RETIRE
Former U.S. District Attorney Kurt Alme knows he was tapped to replace outgoing Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., to maintain the GOP’s majority in the Senate, and he’s ready to lean into his bona fides to keep the Treasure State red.(Alme Campaign)
Daines, who was seeking a third term in the Senate, dropped out of the race in early March, withdrawing his name just as the registration deadline in Montana was approaching. As he bowed out, Alme leapt in.
The move drew heavy criticism from Daines’ opponents in the state and from Democrats in Washington, D.C., but Alme described the plan as one geared toward maintaining the balance of power in the upper chamber.
Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president who jumped into the race as an independent hours before Daines’ exit, said on X that the lawmaker had “so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box.”
“This is the disgusting arrogance of Washington politicians and their party bosses who trade power back and forth like candy while Montanans are crushed under higher costs and fewer opportunities,” Bodnar said.
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Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, plans to retire at the end of his term, opening up his seat in Big Sky Country as Republicans look to keep their grip in the upper chamber.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
It’s a move fitting for Daines, given that he has become one of Washington’s savviest political operators and played a key role in clinching Republicans’ Senate majority while serving as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair during the 2024 election cycle.
“The way it happened was Senator Daines called me a few days before the filing deadline, and he said he wanted to retire, but he didn’t want to lose the seat and the Senate to the Democrats,” Alme said. “He said he’d only retire if he knew someone like me would step up and keep the seat in Republican hands.”
“So then, the morning of the filing deadline, he let me know that he would withdraw if I stepped up. So I resigned as U.S. attorney and entered the race, and now, with President Trump’s endorsement, we’re moving forward full speed with the election,” he continued.
Alme quickly racked up endorsements from President Donald Trump, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and his possible future colleague Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. It’s no surprise, considering Trump twice tapped Alme to serve as U.S. attorney in the Treasure State and that he previously served as Gianforte’s budget director.
Trump said on Truth Social that “if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is.”
SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SUE TRUMP, ACCUSE HIM OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MAIL-IN VOTING
President Donald Trump credited his economic policies for the positive March jobs report.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“But Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump said.
Though Trump won Montana by nearly 20 points in 2024 and has consistently notched double-digit wins in his three bids for the White House, Alme’s ascension to the upper chamber isn’t guaranteed.
He’ll have to prevail in a three-way statewide contest against Bodnar, the independent, and the expected Democratic nominee, former Montana state Rep. Reilly Neill, who believes Daines’ exit will give her a boost.
“His stepping down opens the field for the United States Senate, and this is a good development for Montana,” Neill said.
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Still, Alme is leaning into his bona fides in his pitch to Montana voters, particularly when it comes to bringing back “fiscal discipline” and continuing the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime.
“I’ve got to go out and prove who I am, and I’m going to have to earn people’s votes,” Alme said.
“We think that the Republican platform — and certainly President Trump’s approach to governing — is a winner in Montana,” he continued. “And we think that if we stick to our conservative roots, we’re going to perform well against anyone.”
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
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