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Steve Daines
Republican · U.S. Senate, Montana · Incumbent since 2015
2026 General Election
Steve Daines has represented Montana in the U.S. Senate since 2015, having previously served one term in the House. Before politics, he had a career in business at Procter & Gamble and as a technology entrepreneur. He chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and is a prominent advocate for Montana's agricultural and energy industries.
Official website →Views on the Issues
Senator Daines’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Steve Daines
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Steve Daines
Senator Daines is a fiscal conservative who supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and supports making its provisions permanent. He has been a consistent advocate for Montana's agricultural economy — supporting farm programs, crop insurance, and export markets for Montana wheat, cattle, and other commodities — and backs lower taxes and deregulation broadly.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Steve Daines
Senator Daines has opposed the Affordable Care Act and supports market-based alternatives including expanded health savings accounts, increased price transparency, and reducing prescription drug costs through competition. He has focused on preserving rural healthcare access in Montana, where hospital and physician shortages are an ongoing challenge.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Steve Daines
Senator Daines supports strong border security and strict enforcement of immigration law. He has backed physical barriers at the southern border, opposed amnesty for undocumented immigrants, and supported reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols. He has raised concerns about fentanyl trafficking as a national security dimension of border policy.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Steve Daines
Position not yet available.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Steve Daines
Senator Daines holds an A+ rating from the NRA and is a strong defender of Second Amendment rights. A hunter and outdoorsman, he frames gun rights as integral to Montana's culture and heritage. He opposes new federal gun control legislation and has argued that existing laws should be enforced more effectively before new restrictions are imposed.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Steve Daines
Senator Daines strongly supports expanding Montana's fossil fuel production, including coal, oil, and natural gas. He has opposed major federal climate legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act, supports opening federal lands to additional energy development, and has backed natural gas export infrastructure. He opposes what he characterizes as federal overreach that would eliminate Montana energy jobs.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Steve Daines
Senator Daines supports strong U.S. defense spending and has taken a hard line on China, introducing multiple bills to counter Chinese economic and military influence. He backs maintaining U.S. alliances in the Pacific, has supported aid to Ukraine and Israel, and generally aligns with a hawkish foreign policy posture.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Steve Daines
Senator Daines opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits for current and near-retirement beneficiaries. He has expressed general concern about the programs' long-term fiscal sustainability and opposes tax increases as a solution, favoring instead economic growth and spending discipline to address the programs' unfunded liabilities.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Steve Daines
Position not yet available.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.Campaign Finance
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About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.