Steven David Daines (/ˈdeɪnz/ DAYNZ; born August 20, 1962) is an American politician and former corporate executive serving as the senior United States senator from Montana, a seat he has held since 2015.

Daines ran again for public office in 2012 for Montana's at-large congressional district; he won the general election, defeating Democratic nominee Kim Gillan.

[3] Daines graduated from Bozeman High School, where he served as student body president[4] and participated in policy debate; his partner was future U.S.

In 2007, he and his wife started a website, GiveItBack.com, which urged governor Brian Schweitzer to return the state's $1 billion surplus to taxpayers.

[20][21] On June 5, 2013, Daines introduced the North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013, which would withdraw 430,000 acres of federal lands in Montana from programs to develop geothermal and mineral resources.

[22] Daines emphasized his desire "to rise above partisan politics, preserve the pristine landscape, and 'protect this critical watershed'" when he announced that he would be introducing the bill,[23] and said that both conservationists and energy companies supported it.

[24][25] In July 2013, Daines attended a NRSC fundraiser in Washington, prompting speculation that he would run for Max Baucus's soon to be vacant U.S. Senate seat.

Walsh had already declared his intention to run for the Senate in 2014, and it was suggested that his appointment might give him the advantage of incumbency, improving Democratic chances of holding the seat.

[32][33][34] Daines won the Republican primary on June 3, 2014, with 83.4% of the vote against Missoula state representative Champ Edmunds and political newcomer Susan Cundiff.

[37] In August 2014, Walsh withdrew from the race following the publication of a New York Times article that accused him of plagiarism in a paper written as part of his master's degree work at the U.S. Army War College.

With only 50 days until the election, a special convention called by the Montana Democratic party nominated State Representative Amanda Curtis.

[48] In May 2018, Daines announced his support for the so-called nuclear option "to speed up consideration of President Trump's judicial nominees".

He has argued that changing the Senate's rules to a simple majority vote would "ensure a quicker pace on Trump's court picks".

[49] During Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination in October 2018, Daines, who supported the nomination, was absent during the vote due to his attendance at his daughter's wedding that day; Senator Lisa Murkowski, who opposed Kavanaugh's confirmation, voted "present" to compensate for Daines's absence.

[51] In January 2019, Daines was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to advance legislation intended to block Trump's lifting of sanctions against three Russian companies.

[53] Daines voted to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his request that Ukraine announce an investigation into Joe Biden, which became known as the Trump–Ukraine scandal.

He also called the attack "a sad day for our country" and said, "destruction and violence we saw at our Capitol today is an assault on our democracy, our Constitution and the rule of law, and must not be tolerated."

[62][63] The Billings Gazette electoral board called for Daines to apologize to Joe Biden for his role in opposing the certification.

[75][76][77] In June 2020, amid protests against racism and police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Daines defended Trump's decision to disperse protestors with a chemical irritant so that he could stage a photo op in front of St. John's Church, saying he was "grateful for the president's leadership".

[81][clarification needed] On January 2, 2021, Daines joined 11 other Republican senators in an attempt to overturn the presidential election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

[45] In July 2019, Daines co-founded the Roosevelt Conservation Caucus, a group of Republican members of Congress meant to focus on environmental issues with specific priorities including reducing water and ocean plastic pollution, and heightening access to public lands and waters in the United States for outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing.

[99] In January 2020, Daines expressed support for the US military's assassination of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani by drone strike at the Baghdad International Airport.

He has signaled opposition to proposals for expanded background checks and red flag laws, saying he does not believe such legislation would reduce gun violence.

[102][103] Daines opposes allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to apply for temporary protection to stay in the United States; he believes the program is an executive overreach.

[104] Daines supported Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

[106] In May 2020, Daines and Ron Wyden co-sponsored an amendment that would have required federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting web search engine data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

[107][108] In September 2020, after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, Daines supported moving forward with Trump's nominee to fill the vacancy on the court before the November presidential election.