by Helena Lovick | Aug 19, 2026 | Elections
Great Falls, MT
Now that the deadline for candidate withdrawal from the 2026 Montana General Election Ballot has passed….what the hell is happening with the Montana U.S. Senate Race???
We wrote multiple times about the independent run by Seth Bodnar, here, here, and here. But let’s take a few steps back and discuss what happened on the Democratic side of that race.
Dark Money Flooded Our Democratic Primary
During the primary election, the Democratic candidates included Alani Bankhead, Reilly Neill, Michael Black Wolf, Christopher Kehoe, and Michael Hummert. Reilly Neill had started her campaign back in 2025 and had the largest fundraising amounts out of the Democratic candidates. Alani Bankhead joined the race in January 2026 and only raised about $59k before the end of the Democratic primary. But a multi-million dollar influx of dark money flooded the race in May, boosting Bankhead’s visibility. In particular, the newly formed Progressive Vet PAC spent $2.5M+ boosting Bankhead.
A lot of those weird ads people saw about Bankhead in the last couple weeks of the primary election were funded by this outside, “dark” money group. Many people don’t realize most of the political ads we see are NOT paid for by the candidates. They are called independent expenditures and it is illegal for the candidate to coordinate messaging with the Super Political Action Committees (PACs). The dark money messing around in our primary had multiple ties to political insiders. For example, the treasurer for the Progressive Vet PAC was former Democratic Montana legislator and leader in the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), Moffie Funk.
In the end, due to Alani Bankhead’s own campaigning and the dark money influx, Bankhead won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Montana with 43% of the vote (48,000+ votes) with Neill trailing with 33% of the vote (36,000+ votes).
Post-Primary Fuckery
But the dark money groups weren’t done fucking around with Democratic voters. Only a couple of weeks after the primary election, the Progressive Vet PAC announced it was withdrawing its support from Bankhead. [Supposedly because they believed she did not have a viable path to victory. Riiiiiight. They definitely think voters are stupid.]
In addition to the maneuvering of the Progressive Vet PAC, multiple groups pressured Bankhead to drop out of the Senate Race and cede the floor to Seth Bodnar to have the left-leaning votes. These groups also pressured the Montana Democratic Party to not appoint a replacement Democratic candidate (similar to what happened in Nebraska). Despite relentless pressure from groups like Montana Wild and Forward Montana and former high-level Democratic officials Nancy Keenan, Mary Sexton, Carol Williams, Jon Tester and Max Baucus, Bankhead justifiably refused to undo the will of the Montana Democratic voters and stayed in the race.
We now have a four-way race for the US Senate seat, with Alani Bankhead (Democrat), Kurt Alme (Republican), Kyle Austin (Libertarian), and Seth Bodnar (Independent) set up for November.
Good News for the Billionaires with or without a Democratic Candidate
You might be thinking because of the lack of candidate withdrawals in the race, that the dark money groups are singing “all that work and what did it get me? Why did I do it?” (audio for you peeps that don’t know this viral trend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2sVNJxrY4).
And….you would be wrong. The main goal of all that spending was to undermine voter confidence in ALL candidates OTHER THAN Kurt Alme, the Republican nominee. They saw that Democrats had an opportunity to win our US Senate seat and they did their best to crush it. With the division on the left between the Bodnar and Bankhead camps, they have split our vote. There is still a chance that the left can come together and vote for one of Bodnar and Bankhead. But the likelihood of that is low. Good news for the billionaires I guess!
Dark Money Details
With friends like the Progressive Vet PAC and the Montana Freedom Fund dumping money into our Montana U.S. Senate race, who needs enemies?
Check out some of the crazy details about the dark money spending during the primary election. Images of some of their bullshit mailers that flooded voters’ mailboxes are shown below.
Images of Select Mailers Received During 2026 Montana Primary
Some of the mailers sure look like they were from the actual candidate. For example, the image below shows a Bankhead branded mailer…with her logo, her quote, and her pictures…only it was paid for by the Progressive Vet PAC.
PAC Sponsored Bankhead Mailer
That pile of mailers shown above? Not a single one was paid for by the actual candidate. The “Paid For By” attributions can be small, nearly illegible, and blend in on the mailer. Below are close-up images of several examples.
Tiny “Paid for By” Attributions on PAC Mailers
You can barely find the tiny attribution that tells you which PAC funded the mailer. And even if you know which PAC paid — you can’t 100% tell who is funding the effort. In many cases, PAC donors do not have to be disclosed and reporting of contributions can be delayed and extended, often after the end of the general election.
It’s like a shell game of PACs and other political organizations like 527 groups and 501(c)(4) groups. But in the table below you can see some of the richest of the rich funding this effort to pressure voters to keep a Republican in office.
| Super/Hybrid PACs |
Who gives them money? |
| More Jobs, Less Government |
Transfers from affiliated committees – Daines Senate Majority Fund ($290,580)
Individuals: Konstantin Sokolov (private equity gave $250,000), Rai Services Company ($200,000 – Reynolds American, the parent company of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco), International Bancshares Corp ($100,000) |
| Montana Freedom PAC |
WAY BACK PAC ($150,000) Individuals: Samuel Walton ($50k), Greg Avis ($10k) and Scott Shenker ($100k)
Way Back PAC is funded by Western Futures Fund ($1.2M), Toolbox ($650k), |
| Progressive Vet PAC |
American Values Project PAC gave $200,000, a PAC backed solely by Jason Carroll, a founder of Hudson River Trading
Contours, Inc. gave $2.6M a 501(c)(4) with opaque financials – not required to disclose its donors |
| Americans for Prosperity Action |
STAND TOGETHER INC./Stand together chamber of commerce Inc. ($26.5M) Koch, Inc. ($10M)
Individuals: S Robsen Walton ($7M) Jim C Walton ($7M), Anthony Ressler ($2M), Craig J Duchossois ($2M) |
I don’t have audio of the endless TV ads, but PACs funded those too with the same type of messaging. Pay attention to what they are trying to sell you, and consider the source. Do these anonymous billionaires have the best interests of every day Montanans at heart? Should you listen to them over every day Montanans and the candidate’s own words?
Dark money groups continue their spending to influence our elections. They are relentless because they have a nearly bottomless well of money to fund their efforts. Spending millions to influence your vote is worth it to them, because it helps them hoard their billions. Just think of the good these billionaires could do if they would accept a minor decrease in their insane wealth levels and actually put that money towards things that help the people, like feeding children, funding schools, protecting our environment…. What a world WE COULD AND SHOULD have.
Dark Money is Drowning Us
Candidates have enough trouble getting their message out. They don’t need billionaires from outside of Montana trying to drown out their voice.
One of the routes to get this dark money out of Montana is the Montana Plan. Maybe if we can get I-194 passed this year, we can let the voice of the candidates come through. Let’s learn about our candidates without getting flooded with billionaires’ distorted messages about them.
by Ken Toole | Aug 18, 2026 | Elections, Taxes
County Commissioner Joe Briggs is making the rounds with a menu of potential cuts aimed at reducing local property taxes. Briggs recently distributed the information shown in the graphics above and below at a local Pachyderm Club meeting.
Most of us would probably like to see our property taxes reduced. Most of us also want to retain at least some of the services Briggs has identified as potential cuts. The truth is that local governments have been put between a rock and a hard place by restrictions imposed by the legislature. Rigid limits on local-government funding have forced cuts to many local services—regardless of how necessary or popular those services are in the community.
On top of that, local business-development and recruitment efforts have turned into a legalized Ponzi scheme, providing tax breaks and deferrals to large corporations that often ignore the needs of the communities where they operate. Calumet is a master of this game. (See our previous post: https://wtf406.com/2025/05/how-large-industrial-corporations-like-calumet-are-screwing-you/ )
Janicki Industries is another recent example. The Electric reports that, under state law, Janicki’s property will be taxed at 50 percent of its taxable value for the first five years. Each year thereafter, the percentage will increase by equal increments until the property reaches its full taxable value in the tenth year.
Janicki also wants phased approval, allowing each phase to receive a separate tax-abatement period. Local county commissioners chose to give Janicki the minimum tax abatement allowed under state law: 80 percent. You can thank local legislator Steve Fitzpatrick for this particular gift to large corporations. See our post on Fitzpatrick’s legislation: (https://wtf406.com/2025/04/calumets-got-lawyers-and-politicians/ )
This situation is a direct result of Republican trickle-down economic theory. The idea is that reducing taxes frees up capital for businesses to expand. That expansion creates economic activity, which increases the tax base and helps pay for public services and amenities.
It sounds nice, but reality doesn’t work that way. Businesses have stronger incentives to increase returns for investors. They do that by increasing profit margins—often through higher prices, cutting expenses, such as employee benefits and wages, and shifting costs onto others in the community by failing to clean up their messes. They also use the political process to advance all of those goals.
And that leaves us with Joe’s chart of the budget and list of possible cuts.
In a place where the majority of officials are Republicans who believe the trickle down mythology, public services take a back seat to attracting big businesses. So Joe Brigg’s Wheel of Fortune offers nothing but cuts to services which erode the quality of life in Great Falls. But in fairness to Joe, there is not much he can do about it because the legislation passed by Steve Fitzpatrick and other corporate shills in the legislature tie his hands with state law.
by Guest Writer | Aug 4, 2026 | Democrats, Elections, Politics, Republicans
Guest Post By Joe Hancock, Chair of Gallatin County Democrats
This election year, four candidates garnered enough support from Montana voters to earn a place on the ballot for our U.S. Senate race: Kurt Alme, Kyle Austin, Alani Bankhead, and Seth Bodnar. Every demand for one of these candidates to withdraw from this election is an attempt to disenfranchise Montanans who participated in the nominating process.
I’ve read two meandering letters in the past month from liberal lawmakers and lawyers with conclusions that seem to be informed by self-interest rather than common sense. If an idea seems too cute by half, it is probably a bad idea. This isn’t the first time this year that I’ve seen lawyers argue a novel legal theory meant to undermine the electoral process established in Montana Code Annotated.
While I’m frustrated by these privileged few squabbling over a senate campaign, I’m truly angry that this feckless infighting has insulated Montana Republicans from criticism as they promote dangerous new policies and fundraise on a platform of social exclusion. Working Montanans continue losing economic ground because of state and local government policy failures while these people waste time and political capital on a fight nobody wins.
The GOP put red meat on the table when their flat-tax proposal hit the front page, but so-called Democrats are digging for gristle in the dumpster. We have data, history, and experience that can inform a strong message in opposition to a flat income tax, but the loudest voices in our party have gone hoarse from screaming into the void.
A declaration of support for Alani Bankhead from a member of the Montana Democratic Party is simply a reminder of the written mission to elect Democrats to local, statewide, and federal offices to ensure a government of the people, by the people, and for the people of Montana. It is no more controversial than the MSU president announcing support for the Bobcats football team.
My role as the chair of the Gallatin County Democrats is to pursue this mission to the best of my ability, and my commitment is fueled by my belief in that mission. As a leader, I owe my fellow members my judgment, and as a person, I owe myself a faithful adherence to my code of ethics. My approach has been forged by a life of service and my sworn oaths as an airman and an engineer, committing my skills and knowledge to the public good and in support of democracy.
I expect all four candidates in this race to be on the ballot following the withdrawal deadline of August 10. Should a surprise vacancy occur on the Democratic ticket, I will ensure another qualified candidate is nominated so we can continue our mission to serve the people of Montana and give our opponents the lumber in November.
by Guest Writer | Jul 31, 2026 | Elections, Guest Articles, Politics
Guest Post From David Sirota, Editor of The Lever
You literally have no idea who is “electable”. Stop pretending you do, and stop thinking you should calibrate your vote on who is “electable” rather than on who is pushing good policies that would help you and your community.
A flippant note from a political science professor reminds me of something I want to reiterate now and basically in every election cycle for the rest of my angst-ridden life: There is now an entire cottage industry of media elites, academics and aspiring online “influencers” who market themselves the all-knowing Understanders Of Electability™ — and who work to convince you, the Democratic primary voter, that you should condition your votes on candidates’ “electability”….when in reality, literally nobody knows who is “electable” and who isn’t.
Most of these purveyors of “electability” have never in their entire lives deigned to once do the difficult unglamorous work of actually toiling in politics or on a political campaign — and yet they waive around polls and pitch themselves as modern-day oracles. They are the political version of Jim Cramer, often flagrantly wrong and yet indefatigably confident.
That’s actually what they are selling – confidence, or really, a con game. They sell the idea that Democratic primary voters should be pundits who vote not for their own interests, but who vote for some mythical idea of “electability” that these elites alone determine…even though we’ve been shown over and over and over again that nobody has any idea who will be “electable.”
This class of geniuses told us that a freshman senator named Barack Hussein Obama could never be an “electable” candidate for president.
They were so convinced that Donald Trump wasn’t “electable” that they cheered when he won the Republican presidential nomination, and insisted there was no possible way he could win a swing state like Michigan.
Most recently, they sold the idea that Kamala Harris was the only “electable” choice for president, that she was running a “brilliant” campaign — and that her corporate centrism was working to win her the White House.
David J. Sirota is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, a reader-supported investigative news outlet focused on exposing the negative influence of corporate corruption on American society. He was a speechwriter and senior adviser for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. Sirota served as a senior strategist for Brian Schweitzer’s unsuccessful 2000 Senate campaign and successful 2004 gubernatorial campaign.
For more biographical information check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sirota
by Ken Toole | Jun 28, 2026 | Elections
“There’s Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos.”
Jim Hightower, Progressive Texas Politician and Commentator
Full disclosure: I served in the Montana Senate with Jon Tester. I worked for Nancy Keenan when she was Superintendent of Public Instruction. I served as the Vice Chair and Chair of the Lewis and Clark Central Committee. I was elected as the Western District Chair’s Representative on the State Democratic Party Executive Board. I served as a senate representative on the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. I was elected twice to the Montana Senate and once to the Montana Public Service Commission. I have founded, managed and volunteered for progressive organizations in Montana for my entire career. I have been an active Democrat despite having a lot frustration with the party because I recognize the need for organizations which provide structure, transparency and democratic accountability in our political process.
Great Falls, MT
Bodnar’s Stable of Politician Endorsements
The Bodnar campaign is moving into high gear. His pockets are filled with cash. Much of it coming from Washington, DC elites and lobbyists. He is now establishing his electoral credibility by announcing a stable of high profile Montana politicians, mostly Democrats. Most of these endorsers argue that these are desperate political times. They say the “Democratic brand” is so tarnished a Democrat can’t win state-wide office.
Ironically, if the finger of blame belongs anywhere for the current dysfunction in our political system and the Montana Democratic Party in particular, these folks deserve much of the blame. Over the years they have consistently emphasized reaching out to the “middle-of-the-road” voters while marginalizing the traditional progressive base in the Democratic Party.
Bodnar’s recent endorsements include:
Jon Tester- 18 years representing Montana in the US Senate. He lost 2024 election despite spending more money than Tim Sheehy, (Tester $79 mm, Sheehy $21mm, PAC spending $115mm roughly split evenly) The Montana Free Press described him this way “Tester positions himself as a moderate willing to work with or oppose either Trump or Biden depending on the issue,”
Max Baucus- 35 years representing Montana in the US Senate. His Wikipedia page summarized him this way, “he was known for straddling party lines and frequently bucking his own party on taxes, health care, the environment, and gun control. Baucus was the primary author of our current health care system (along with his former Chief of Staff, Jim Messina, who was also an advisor to Tester’s 2006 campaign for Senate and is now encouraging Bodnar’s independent run).
For more details on Baucus follow this link: https://sunlightfoundation.com/2009/06/22/the-max-baucus-health-care-lobbyist-complex/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Nancy Keenan- four years as the Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party ending in 2019. Six years serving in the Montana House of Representatives representing Anaconda ending in 1989. She subsequently served three terms as The Superintendent of Public Instruction until 2001.
Dorothy Bradley- Served a total eight terms in the Montana House of Representatives. She ran against Pat Williams in the Democratic Primary for Congress. She lost. She ran for Governor in 1992. She was defeated in the general election by Marc Racicot. She also served on the board of NorthWestern Energy from 2009 to 2017. The NWE 2016 Proxy Statement says she received $211,840 in stock and cash compensation. The same document shows that she held $1,099,648 in stock and “deferred stock units”
Mary Sexton- Served as a Teton County Commissioner from 1999 to 2004. She ran for PSC in 2000 losing to Tom Schneider in the primary. She also ran as John Vincent’s running mate in 2004 gubernatorial race. She and Vincent were defeated by Brian Schweitzer and John Bohlinger (a Republican, ahem). She was head of the Montana Department of Natural Resources from 2006 to 2013. She served as Chair of the Montana Democratic Party from 2016 to 2018.
Bodnar also has been endorsed by former Governor, Marc Racicot. Perhaps his greatest “accomplishment” was shepherding electric deregulation through the Montana legislature. We’re not going through his long, soiled career as a republican hack/lobbyist during the Bush 2 administration. Take a look for yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Racicot.
These folks, and others like them, have been calling the shots in the Montana Democratic Party for years. And virtually every time they or their chosen candidates have lost with their middle of the road strategies and rhetoric they point immediately at progressives and place the blame on us. Too green, too gay, too anti-business, too Missoula, and so it goes. It has become the common wisdom among party elites and the consultant class. . . .and it is bullshit.
Consider the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary in Montana
The progressive candidate was Bernie Sanders, the insiders’ choice was Hillary Clinton. Much to the surprise of establishment Democrats, Bernie Sanders won the popular vote in the primary with 51.56% of the vote. He won in the urban centers you might predict (Missoula, Bozeman, Lewis and Clark). He also won many more rural counties than Clinton. So much for saying rural people don’t like progressive candidates.
Based on the popular vote, Sanders was awarded 11 delegates to go to the National Democratic Convention, Clinton was awarded 10. But Montana had six “unpledged superdelegates” who also had votes at the convention five of those voted for Hillary Clinton despite the fact that she lost the popular vote . Three were Superdelegates because they were members of the Democratic National Committee, Jacquie Helt and Jim Larson (both Montana labor leaders) and Jorge Quintana, who served as chief legal counsel for Democratic Secretary of State, Linda McCulloch. The other superdelegates who voted for Clinton were Senator Jon Tester and Governor Steve Bullock. The lone superdelegate who supported Sanders was Jean Lemire Dahman a rancher from eastern Montana.
In the end, after a bit of a kerfuffle in the Montana delegation on the floor of the convention, Clinton was awarded 15 delegates and Sanders was awarded 12. Of course the Montana delegate count has little effect on the Presidential nomination. But this episode pretty clearly demonstrates who controls the Democratic party in the state and it isn’t the progressive wing.
“Wave” Elections Happen
The 2010 election was the first mid-term election of the Obama Administration. A red wave swept the country. Luckily there was only one state-wide race on the ballot in Montana. Republican Denny Rehberg won it with 60% of the vote. Republicans flipped 18 seats in the Montana House and took control of the senate with a six vote majority. Republicans also gained two seats on the PSC. We are dealing with the results of the 2010 election to this day. All the money in the world, all of the sophisticated polling and strategic maneuvering in the world are simply window dressing in an election like this.
Now, along comes the 2026 election. It is the first mid-term election of Trump’s second term. We are engaged in a war he started in the Middle East. Inflation is steadily increasing, and his economic policies have wreaked havoc on numerous sectors of the economy. Assuming Trump doesn’t figure out a way to cancel or steal the election, it has the potential to be a blue wave election.
A Missed Opportunity to Unify Montana Democrats
Brian Schweitzer and others encouraged Bodnar to run as a Democrat (WTF406 among them https://wtf406.com/2026/02/open-letter-to-seth-bodnar/). But apparently others like consultant Jim Messina, Jon Tester and the endorsers listed in this post are convinced a Democrat can’t win in Montana (despite the fact that all of them have been elected in Montana as Democrats in the past).
Of course the argument has been that these are unique times and Trump and MAGA pose an existential threat to our democracy. But they have gone a step further in discouraging Bodnar from filing as a Democrat. It is hard to know what evidence they rely on other than some undisclosed polling and their years of experience. They are not relying on the history of success of independent candidates on the Montana ballot. The evidence there is not encouraging. (https://wtf406.com/2026/01/handing-steve-daines-the-next-election/).
By filing as an independent Bodnar forgoes the Democratic base vote. The promoters of his independent candidacy have also been promoting the idea that the winner of the Democratic primary would withdraw leaving a mano-a-mano contest between the Republican Kurt Alme and Bodnar. (See our previous post https://wtf406.com/2026/06/seth-bodnar-and-the-nebraska-plan/) Thus far the Democratic candidate, Alani Bankhead, isn’t going along with this weird idea.
But it is clear that Bodnar’s decision is dividing Democrats. So far, disgruntled Republicans are not flocking to his campaign. We can’t really say what percentage of voters are independent. But, we know that regularly partisan voters often identify themselves as independents when asked about their party affiliation by pollsters. A more accurate method than polling is to look at voters who voted for candidates from both parties on the same ballot, so called “ticket splitters” in Montana elections. According to one estimate ticket splitting in Montana has declined from 20% in 2016 to 8% in 2024. (https://montanafreepress.org/2025/12/08/how-has-ticket-splitting-changed-in-montana/). Bad news for Bodnar.
Truth is nobody knows . . .
It is true that we are in uncharted waters in this election cycle. The authoritarian take over of our government and institutions is well underway. It is also true that we have never seen this amount of money in politics and the sleazy win-at-any-cost consultant crowd it has attracted. Reilly Neill didn’t appear to be able to raise the kind of money and support needed for a US Senate race despite her hard work. Alani Bankhead is really an unknown commodity in Montana politics. It may be true that Seth Bodnar is the strongest of the three to take on Kurt Alme.
But it is also true that his independent candidacy is damaging the Democratic Party and alienating a lot of loyal and consistent Democratic volunteers and voters. It is also damaging to Democrats in down ticket races.
And once you strip it all down, Bodnar’s choice to run as an independent is driven by money, speculative polling and analysis by old office holders and consultants. It is the opposite of the kind of grass roots organizing and support most people say they want to see in our politics.
Bodnar could have run as a Democrat but chose not to. Ironically, If Kurt Alme wins this election, the same old crowd will point their fingers and blame the progressives who didn’t jump on board with Bodnar.
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.
