by Ken Toole | Jun 9, 2026 | Elections
In case you haven’t already heard the conspiracy theory floating around about the games supposedly being played in Montana’s U.S. Senate race on the Democratic ticket, let us run it down for you.
Step 1 — Bodnar files to run as an independent.
Step 2 — The winner of the Democratic primary, Alani Bankhead, resigns.
Step 3 — The State Central Committee of the Montana Democratic Party refuses to meet its statutory obligation to appoint a replacement for Bankhead.
Step 4 — With no Democrat on the general election ballot, Bodnar gets the votes of virtually all Democrats and enough swing voters to defeat the Republican candidate, Kurt Alme.
Though the whole thing sounds like the plot of a bad political thriller, it has obviously gained traction with Washington, D.C. power brokers and more than a few ordinary Montana Democrats who are desperate for an electoral victory.
This plan falls apart if any of the steps cannot be accomplished. The Democratic nominee, Alani Bankhead, has been consistent and vocal that she has no intention of resigning. Even if she did resign—which seems pretty far‑fetched—the next step would require the Democratic Party to refuse to fill the position. This is a statutory requirement, not an “option.” There is little doubt that the failure of the State Democratic Party to act promptly to fill the vacancy would lead to litigation.
The promoters of this far‑fetched plan point to the state of Nebraska, where Steps 1, 2, and most of 3 have already been accomplished by U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn. The problem is that Nebraska is not Montana, and Seth Bodnar is not like Dan Osborn.
Nebraskan Dan Osborn vs. Seth Bodnar
Osborn is a bona fide working‑class populist. Born to a seamstress and a railroad laborer, he was raised in Nebraska. After high school he joined the Navy. He did not complete college; instead, he went to work in an industrial plant fixing machinery. While there, he became active in the union. In 2021 he led a 77‑day strike against the plant, forcing concessions from the corporation that owned it. He was subsequently fired. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 as an Independent* on a strong populist platform. There was no Democrat in the race. He lost by only 7 points, surprising pundits in this strongly Republican state.
Bodnar presents a very different profile. His parents were educators in Pennsylvania. He went to West Point—probably the most elite military school in the country (it requires a congressional or vice presidential recommendation to attend as do the Naval Academy and Air Force Academy)—and graduated first in his class. After West Point he became a Rhodes Scholar. He joined the military, was deployed several times, and served in the Iraq War. In 2011 he went to work for the General Electric Corporation and became a senior executive. In 2018 he became President of the University of Montana, where he served until resigning to run for Senate.
The contrast between these two candidates is not to disparage Bodnar’s impressive résumé. It is presented to point out that Bodnar is a very different candidate from Nebraska’s Dan Osborn.
Nebraska Politics Are Not Like Montana’s
Aside from the obvious geographic and economic differences between the two states, Nebraska also has a very different political culture. Nebraska has the only unicameral (one‑house) legislature in the country. Legislators—who are all called “Senator”—run without party affiliation in nonpartisan primaries. Until recent elections, Montana was known as a “purple” state with a relatively large number of ticket‑splitters. Nebraska has been reliably Republican for a much longer period of time.
Where the clandestine political intrigue now surrounding the Montana Democratic Party—and the conspiracy theory at the center of this post—reeks of smoke‑filled rooms and bowler derbies, the approach of the Nebraska Democratic Party has been open and honest in endorsing Osborn’s campaign. Below is a statement from a March 3, 2026 press release from the Nebraska Democratic Party:
“The Nebraska Democratic Party made a deliberate, principled decision not to field a candidate in the U.S. Senate race. We believe Dan Osborn – a veteran, a mechanic, a Nebraskan, and an independent voice – represents the best opportunity to defeat Pete Ricketts and deliver real results for working families.”
The Nebraska primary election was held on May 12, 2026. There were two Democrats on the primary ballot for U.S. Senate: Cindy Burbank and William Forbes. Forbes was widely regarded as a plant from incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts. Burbank was forthright about her intent to resign and leave the field open for Osborn to challenge Ricketts. She won the Democratic primary with almost 90% of the vote.
But that is not the end of the story. The Republican Secretary of State, Bob Evnan, had attempted to keep Burbank off the ballot, arguing that she intended to violate her oath of office. He was ordered to place her name on the ballot by the Nebraska Supreme Court. He has said he will seek guidance from Republican State Attorney General Mike Hilgers on whether he must accept Burbank’s resignation and remove her name from the general election ballot in November.
Where Things Stand Now
Alani Bankhead has been steadfast in her refusal to step aside for Seth Bodnar. She appears resolute in her commitment, and she does not appear to be someone who is easily pushed around. That said, she is likely to receive a lot of pressure from national political figures and politicos around Montana.
But if she resigns, this mess lands squarely in the lap of the State Democratic Party. If it fails to meet its legal obligation to replace her on the ballot, two new players will likely enter the game: Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Attorney General Austin Knudsen… let that sink in.
*correction- the original post said Osborn ran as a Democrat in 2024. He ran as an Independent.
by Ken Toole | Jun 7, 2026 | Elections, Legislature, Politics, Republicans
Fresh off his resounding defeat of famous “RINO hunter” Randy Pinocci with 68% of the Republican Primary vote in Senate District 12, George Nikolakakos is now setting his sights on Montana GOP Chairman, Art Wittich.
“What he has done is divided the party, created a war, and now we are basically in shambles, putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.” Nikolakakos said in an interview with The Daily Montanan. He went on to say that Wittich should resign.
Republican Primaries. . .A Shit Show
Nikolakakos’ comments come on the heels of the most contentious and expensive Republican legislative primaries in anyone’s memory. But, in fairness to poor old Art Whittick, his autocratic reign of the Montana Republican party is only the most recent battle in the war that has been raging between old style Republicans like Llew Jones, and Nikolakakos and the Spanish Inquisition style Republicans known as the Montana Freedom Caucus.
Wittick pointed out that many of the Republicans the state party targeted for consorting with Democrats during the last legislative session benefited from help in the Republican Primary from Democratic consultants. Nikolakakos and other republicans received support from Fireweed, a Missoula based consultant group staffed by former labor and Democratic Party employees with connections to deep pocket contributors.
Wittick Not Backing Down. Neither is George
Not one for backing down from a fight, Wittick said, “If anything, I’m going to accelerate this process of looking at legislators’ votes and making sure they account when they are voting to weaken Republican leadership, voting to weaken Republican policies, and voting to weaken the Republican party,”
Of course, Nikolakakos is not one for backing down either. “With my first speech on the Senate floor, I’m gonna call him (Wittich) out and remind him I do not work for him, that I work for the people of my district,” Nikolalakos concluded “The more people fought, the better they did,” Of course, fighting is a lot easier in local politics when you can put about $100,000 of your own money into your campaign. (see our post on local legislative races and money https://wtf406.com/2026/04/tired-of-money-in-politics-buckle-up-for-2026/ )
Thank you to the Daily Montanan for it’s reporting on this story
Montana Republican Party called on to end GOP fighting
by Ken Toole | May 28, 2026 | Elections
Claiton Gusler says he is a business man, a family man and a conservative. He lives in Billings. As you can see, he is “sponsoring” this billboard in Great Falls promoting Randy Pinocci in his run for Montana Senate. A billboard like this costs around $1300 for one month. It’s well over the contribution limit for an individual of $470.
Gusler can do this kind of thing because his support is considered and “independent expenditure” so long as it is not “coordinated” with Pinocci’s campaign. This is a hole in campaign finance law you can drive a truck through. Both sides are doing it and it is a large part of the reason voters are inundated with post cards, billboards and social media posts in every election cycle.
But getting back to Gusler, he has made 16 personal contributions to republican candidates in this election cycle, including giving individually to the following from the Cascade County area: Randy Pinocci, Tony Rosales, Zack Wirth, and Jeff Pattison (for PSC.) That does not include the money he may be sliding under the door through the “independent expenditure” loop hole. In addition, he has also sponsored a billboard in Billings for Nellie Nichol. She is a supporter of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus in the legislature.
But Gusler is more than just a conservative business man from Billings.
He is also on the Montana Sex and Violent Offender Registry. He was charged with assault with a weapon and burglary. He was sentenced in the spring of 2017 to 120 months in jail. His current status in conditional discharge from supervision.
Photo of Claiton Gusler
Photo of Randy Pinocci
We have no idea how he came to know Pinocci. But they have similar pictures on file.
by Ken Toole | Apr 29, 2026 | Elections
Probably one of the most hotly contested Republican Primary fights in Montana is between Nikolakakos and Randy Pinocci to replace Wendy McKamey to represent Montana Senate District 12. Also in Senate District 12 republican shill Jim Whitaker filed as a Democrat. Nikolakakos posted the below on Facebook.
“Normally don’t address my opponent in races much as it can elevate them but career politician Randy Pinocci is a literal criminal and his dark money overlords are spending 100’s of thousands in this race lying about me. Not even talking about the arguably criminal massive utility rate hikes and scandals we’ve experienced while he’s been on the PSC making 6 figures on our tax dime spiking his pension.
A serial litigant, he’s been involved in dozens of lawsuits to boot, including one regarding his Marijuana profit sharing agreement going to the supreme court.
Randy was a massive failure in the legislature passing only a single do nothing bill despite tons of attempts wasting tax payer money while he was caught repeatedly playing video games on the people’s floor.
Randy Pinocci has been an embarrassment to Great Falls for years. Time to send this career politician home.
We have two very different records. I’m confident the people of Great Falls will be doing the right thing and retire this clown.”
This year it seems there is a lot of game playing around legislative elections. We have leaders in the local Libertarian Party filing as Republicans and Republicans filing as Democrats. In Senate District 12 well known Republican Jim Whitaker has filed as a Democrat. See our post below.
https://wtf406.com/2026/03/campaign-season-is-here-and-its-raining-drama/
by Helena Lovick | Apr 22, 2026 | Elections
Great Falls, MT
Watching television, the other night I’m suddenly seeing ads for several Republican legislative candidates. Why are they spending this kind of money for a state legislative seat?? Where is their money coming from?
How can a person find out about money in Montana politics?
Well for those in the know (which now includes you!), you can look up certain information about a state candidate’s funding and their spending through the Office of Political Practices in the Campaign Electronic Reporting System. The Campaign Electronic Reporting System, also known as CERS, is the online reporting platform required to be used for all candidates and committees to track money in politics. You can check it out here: https://cers-ext.mt.gov/CampaignTracker/dashboard.
What are the Great Falls legislative candidates up to?
I went through CERS so you don’t have to! I looked at how much personal money candidates are throwing at the primaries. My findings are in the table below for your viewing pleasure. As you can see, Republican candidates in particular are loaning themselves or donating, thousands of dollars to their campaigns. Candidates can payback some or all of their personal loans to their campaigns if they raise enough money from donors and political action committees (PACs).
But……DO GEORGE AND MELISSA NIKOLAKAKOS EXPECT TO PAY THEMSELVES BACK $125,000?!? That is a lot of money to dump into state legislative races. Several other Republican candidates are also lending themselves thousands too. Steven Galloway at $11k, Ed Buttrey at $20k, Mark Winters (one of the fake Dems, we wrote about before) at $10k. That’s a lot of money. So why are they doing it?
Great Falls Area Legislative Candidates Loans/Self Donation as of April 2026
SD = Montana Senate District. HD = Montana House District. D = Democratic. R = Republican. “D” means the fake Democrats we wrote about before that are primarying actual Democrats.
Why are Republicans spending so much money to get elected?
The rich get richer because they can afford to either get elected themselves or they can help elect stooges to pass legislation they like. And the legislation they pass legislation benefits them instead of the working class. That is why we see insane income inequality in America.
Money in politics really does screw over the working class. On top of that, having to listen to more stupid TV ads? We’re already suffering in this economy, do they have to add torture to the mix? 
by Helena Lovick | Mar 26, 2026 | Elections
Alternative Titles: “2026: Blue Wave” or “Democrats Make Gains and Republicans Freak Out”
Great Falls, MT
The filing period for candidates has closed in Montana. So how are things looking? The energy reminds me of 2018, because of all the Democrats filing. Every legislative district in Cascade County has a Democrat on the slate. That is the best candidate recruitment we’ve seen since 2018. Really good news for Democrats. The left leaning folks are fired up and ready to go!
Behold this map! We can make it all blue, not just HD 19 that we hold right now!!
Well sorry folks we can’t celebrate too long. It’s back to the grind again, because the Republicans are imploding and trying to take us with them.
What Republican Tantrum Do We Have to Deal With Now?
Zinke and Daines are Out
First the good news, Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) and U.S. Senator Steve Daines dropped out of their races!! While they may bring us fresh hell in the future as zombie candidates for governor or something….at least Republicans have lost the incumbency advantage in those races.
Let them Fight – Libertarians primarying Republicans
Then, three local Libertarians have decided to run as Republicans, calling themselves “Libertarian-Republicans.” They’re primarying known Republicans in state legislative races to do it (SD-10, HD-20, and HD-22).
State Representative George Nikolakakos is BIG MAD about it. He ranted on his public Facebook that Kevin Leatherbarrow, a candidate for HD-22, “is a perennial Libertarian candidate”…”running as a “Constitutional Republican” (whatever that means in his mind).” When Tony Rosales (the chair of the local Libertarian Party) filed to run in HD-20 against George’s wife Melissa, fellow State Representative George Nikolakakos declared, “It’s raining crazy in Great Falls with the filing deadline over!”
Looks like the Cascade County Libertarians and Republicans won’t be singing kumbaya together any time soon. Dang.
MAGA Republicans Filing as Democrats
If you squint, you can see how Libertarians and Republicans can overlap. But MAGA and Democrats? No.
But somehow the dumbass loony toons of James Whitaker and Mark Winters decided to file in Montana Senate Districts 11 and 12, respectively as Democrats. As if the voters wouldn’t notice James Whitaker running concurrently for a Republican precinct person position (an elected position as a voting member in the local Cascade County GOP), and the fact that Mark Winters is/was a Republican precinct person until he stepped down a couple of days after filing.
The Chair of the Local Republican Party had this to say about both candidates:
Eric Hinebauch, chair of the Cascade County Republican Central Committee and a member of the Cascade County Commission….believes the pair filed in Democratic primaries to deter Democratic voters from crossing over to vote in Republican primaries. He told Montana Free Press that he doesn’t believe either candidate is really a Democrat.
(quote from the Montana Free Press article: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/03/12/two-candidates-in-cascade-county-claim-to-be-democrats-local-party-leadership-says-thats-a-hoax/)
You Decide – MAGA or Democrat?
I will summarize some items I found in a 5 minute Google search and let you the reader be the judge! Do these people seem like Democrats? Would you say that their candidacies for the nominations were made in good faith? Or….do you think they are lying to the voters?
Google Search Results on Whitaker and Winters:
| James Whitaker |
Mark Winters |
- Running to be a Republican precinct person in the 2026 election
- Ran for HD-22 as a Republican in 2024
- Local GOP Party chair says he is not a Democrat
|
|
Based on that summary, I assume you agree with me that they are NOT Democrats. In my opinion, filing to run as a candidate for a political party where you do not overlap at all on party platform positions is completely disrespectful to voters. It is an honor and a privilege to be a candidate for political office. Meanwhile, Whitaker and Winters just spit in the voters’ faces instead.
Why are these MAGAs filing as Democrats?
In the Montana Free Press article, Rae Grulkowski’s loss to Eric Hinebauch in the 2024 Republican primary for Cascade County commissioner was brought up.
And foreshadowing, that loss is highly relevant to the rest of this post.
Grulkowski blamed her loss on Democrats voting in the Republican primary. You can read that twice. Grulkowski is pissed, and I suspect her little cabal of MAGA weirdos is behind the push for Republicans to file as Democrats in Cascade County. She is still mad she lost, and she blames Democrats rather than having some self-reflection. PEOPLE DIDN’T VOTE FOR YOU RAE, BECAUSE YOU WERE BAD AT YOUR JOB.
My conclusion is that Whitaker and Winters filed to force Democratic primaries and ensure that Democrats don’t crossover vote in the Republican primary. Yep. It’s worth lying to the voters to get their way! Sounds about MAGA.
AnYwAy, James Whitaker and Mark Winters are Rae Grulkowski’s people, and Steven Vinnedge and Kathryn Hansen are also her people. Since both Steven Vinnedge and Kathryn Hansen signed that stupid petition that was going around in 2021-2022 asking the county to eliminate mail ballots and count all ballots by hand instead of using the counting machines.
Why do I bring up Steven Vinnedge and Kathryn Hansen? More MAGA idiocy
Both Steven Vinnedge and Kathryn Hansen filed to be Democratic precinct people in Cascade County. Not satisfied with destroying their own party, the MAGA wing is trying to become voting members of the local Democratic Party. And yes, like Winters and Whitakers, it’s not hard to find the crazy on Vinnedge and Hansen. They are not Democrats.
Here are some lowlights from Steven Vinnedge’s public Facebook posts:
Yeah…Steven Vinnedge is not a Democrat.
What about Kathryn Hansen?
Like the others, it is well known that Hansen is a Republican. She spoke openly against the Great Falls Library Board recommendations at an October 2023 Great Falls City Commission meeting and asked them to appoint anti-library levy applicant Noelle Johnson. ::Shocker::, at the same meeting, Steven Vinnedge was there also dissing the library board. Almost like they align politically! As I pointed out above, both Kathryn Hansen and Steven Vinnedge signed that bananapants all return to paper ballots, all hand counting petition.
There you have it folks
MAGA is going through an extinction burst, and hopefully we can work around them until they finish destroying themselves. Meanwhile, the local Democratic Party is seriously kicking some ass with candidate recruitment and strengthening of their party.
