Although some 2026 candidates have been campaigning for months, the official registration period opened this week.
The first day of the candidate filing period is an important checkpoint during election season. The ability to file through the Montana Secretary of State’s website means the wait to register in person is shorter than it used to be.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen reported that Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was the first candidate to submit his paperwork for his reelection bid. Daines, who’s seeking a third term in the Senate, filed online.
Newly appointed state Rep. Katie Fire Thunder, a Bozeman Democrat, filed for office in Helena on Tuesday for the first time. She’s campaigning to retain the seat she was appointed to after a former legislator resigned mid-term.
“This is a big day," Fire Thunder said. "This is to put my name on the ballot, and I think that is something that I didn’t really think I ever imagined myself doing. But I think the moment we’re in is calling people to step up.”
Montanans will vote for their representatives in the state Legislature, Congress, the Public Service Commission, the Montana Supreme Court and various local offices this year. The filing period ends March 4 and the primary election is on June 2.
