Meet Steve
A fifth-generation Montanan, Steve Daines brings 28 years of private-sector business experience to Washington, D.C. as he serves the people of Montana in the U.S. Senate.
Steve is a lifelong sportsman and grew up in Bozeman, Montana. After attending public schools (K-12) in Bozeman, Steve worked his way through college at Montana State University and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He spent thirteen years in a management role for Procter & Gamble, the last six in China launching American brands to compete against Chinese companies , and then returned to Bozeman in 1997 to work in a family construction business.
In 2000, Steve took on the role of VP at RightNow Technologies, a Bozeman-based cloud computing start-up company. The company grew rapidly and became a publicly traded software company with 17 offices around the world, and products in over 30 languages. The company was acquired by Oracle in 2012 and remains one of Montana’s largest commercial employers. Steve was elected to serve as Montana’s United States Representative in 2012. During his time in the House, Daines championed legislation to expand responsible development of Montana’s energy resources, move forward meaningful forest management reform, increase transparency and accountability in government, and require members of Congress to balance the budget – or see their pay terminated. Additionally, he passed the most significant public lands bill for Montana in over 30 years. He was ranked the most effective first-term House member in 2013 and again in 2014.
In the U.S. Senate, Daines is working on issues of critical importance to growing good-paying Montana jobs, developing our state’s energy resources, managing and protecting our public lands and supporting the needs of Montana’s veterans and tribes. He serves on the Senate Committees on Finance, Foreign Relations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Indian Affairs.
In 2022, Steve received the “Life in Congress – Workplace Environment” Democracy Award from the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation (CMF). The award recognizes offices that have established both formal policies and informal cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs to better serve their constituents. In 2019, he received the Democracy Award for Transparency and Accountability from CMF. In 2019, Steve was recognized by the Lugar Center as a leading bipartisan senator in the U.S. Senate. In 2019, Steve was also recognized by GovTrack, an independent entity, for his bipartisan leadership and effectiveness.
Steve has been married to Cindy for 39 years. They are the parents of four children and proud grandparents of seven. Steve and his family are actively involved in their church and community volunteer organizations and enjoy backpacking, hunting, skiing, and fishing.
Members of the Senate are responsible for introducing and voting on federal legislation, representing their state, and providing a check on executive power. Key powers include confirming presidential appointments, ratifying treaties, serving on committees, shaping the federal budget, and conducting impeachment trials. Each senator serves a six-year term and represents their entire state.