WASHINGTON — GOP Sen. Steve Daines has won his bid for reelection in Montana, beating back a surprisingly strong challenge in a solidly Republican state.
His victory over Gov. Steve Bullock moved Republicans a step closer to retaining their majority in the Senate, where they now have a 53-47 advantage.
Bullock, who won reelection as governor in 2016 even as Trump won the state by 20 percentage points, failed to repeat that feat of ticket-splitting success against the GOP incumbent in a state where Trump has remained very popular.
But Daines had a tougher than expected challenge from Bullock, who ran unsuccessfully for Democrats' presidential nomination. He bested Daines in fundraising and was boosted by praise for his handling of the state's coronavirus crisis.
