Steve Daines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steve Daines
Official portrait, 2019
Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2023
Leader	Mitch McConnell
Preceded by	Rick Scott
United States Senator from Montana
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015 Serving with Jon Tester
Preceded by	John Walsh
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's at-large district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Denny Rehberg
Succeeded by	Ryan Zinke
Personal details
Born	Steven David Daines (1962-08-20) August 20, 1962 (age 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Cindy Daines ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	4
Relatives	Jay Owenhouse (brother-in-law)
Education	Montana State University (BS)

Steven David Daines ( daynz; born August 20, 1962) is an American politician and former corporate executive serving as the junior United States senator from Montana since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Montana's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.

Daines was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Bozeman, Montana. Before entering politics, he held positions at Procter & Gamble and the Montana-based software service RightNow Technologies. He was Roy Brown's running mate in the 2008 Montana gubernatorial election, losing in the general election to incumbent governor Brian Schweitzer and lieutenant governor John Bohlinger. 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.

After incumbent U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced he would not run for reelection in the 2014 Senate election, Daines won, defeating Democrat Amanda Curtis and becoming the first Republican to win a Senate seat in Montana in the 21st century. He was reelected in 2020, defeating the Democratic nominee, incumbent governor Steve Bullock. In 2023, he became chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, succeeding Rick Scott.

Early life and education

Daines was born in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles to Sharon R. and Clair W. Daines. The family moved to Montana in 1964. He was raised in Bozeman, where he attended school from kindergarten through college.

Daines graduated from Bozeman High School, where he served as student body president. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University. At Montana State, he became a brother of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Early career

Daines was one of the youngest delegates at the 1984 Republican National Convention. "I was a big fan of Ronald Reagan. He was the first president I got to vote for," he has said. Daines was also the president of MSU College Republicans. 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. From 2007 to 2008, he was Montana state chairman for the Mike Huckabee 2008 presidential campaign and a national surrogate for Huckabee.

Daines spent 13 years with Procter & Gamble. After seven years managing operations in the United States, he and his family moved to Hong Kong and China for six years, opening factories to expand Procter & Gamble's Asian business. During his 2014 Senate campaign, Democratic opponents alleged that Daines had outsourced U.S. jobs to China. He stated that he created hundreds of jobs in Montana when he worked for RightNow Technologies.

In 1997, Daines left Procter & Gamble to join the family construction business in Bozeman. Three years later, he met Greg Gianforte, founder of RightNow Technologies, and was put in charge of running RightNow's customer care division. Daines went on to become vice president of North America Sales and vice president of the Asia-Pacific division. During his tenure, the cloud-based software company became publicly traded and Bozeman's largest commercial employer. Daines remained with the company until March 2012, when he left to campaign for Congress full-time.

2008 gubernatorial election

Daines ran for lieutenant governor of Montana in 2008 with Roy Brown, the Republican nominee for governor. They challenged incumbent Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer and his running mate John Bohlinger. Brown and Daines lost the election 65%–33%, winning only seven of Montana's 56 counties.

U.S. House of Representatives

2012 election

On November 13, 2010, Daines announced he would run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Tester in 2012.

When U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg announced his intention to challenge Tester, Daines dropped out of the Senate race and announced his candidacy for the House seat Rehberg was vacating. He won the three-way Republican primary with 71% of the vote. In the general election, Daines defeated Democratic state senator Kim Gillan, 53%–43%. He won 48 of the state's 56 counties.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  • Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Western Caucus
• Congressional Rural Caucus
• Republican Study Committee
• NW Energy Caucus
• Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus

U.S. Senate

Daines during the
114th Congress

2014 election

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. In the second quarter of 2013, he disclosed raising $415,000 in campaign funds, fueling more speculation. On November 6, 2013, Daines announced his candidacy.

In February 2014, Baucus resigned from the Senate to accept a post as U.S. ambassador to China. Governor Steve Bullock, a Democrat, appointed lieutenant governor John Walsh to the vacant Senate seat for the remainder of Baucus's term. 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.

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. Walsh won the Democratic primary with 64% of the vote.

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 Butte legislator Amanda Curtis.

Daines won the general election with 57.8% of the vote to Curtis's 40.1%.

2020 election

Daines was reelected in 2020, defeating Bullock with 55% of the vote. Democrats outspent Republicans by $19 million on the race, $82–63 million; it was one of the most expensive Senate races in the 2020 cycle.

Tenure

117th Congress (2021–2023)

Before the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count, Daines said he would object to certifying the electoral count over unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. He was participating in the certification when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. During the attack, he tweeted "I condemn any kind of violence and intimidation. This is unacceptable." Daines changed his mind on objecting to the certification during the attack. 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." He called for a peaceful transfer of power. The Billings Gazette electoral board called for Daines to apologize to Joe Biden for his role in opposing the certification. Daines rejected calls for Trump to resign or be impeached in the wake of the attack.

During the Biden administration, Daines sought to block Deb Haaland's nomination as Interior Secretary.

On November 16, 2022, Daines was elected chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, succeeding Rick Scott.

Committee assignments

Current

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  • United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
• Committee on Finance
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Health Care
  • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
• Committee on Indian Affairs

Previous

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (2015–2017)
• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (2017–2019)
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (2017–2019)

Personal life

Daines and his wife have four children. He enjoys mountain-climbing and has scaled Granite Peak and Grand Teton.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Steve Daines para niños