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.
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.
Just when you thought Montana’s U.S. Senate race was about as strange as it could get, we find out Seth Bodnar is now working with former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin is best known as a hostage-taker and dealmaker during his years in the U.S. Senate. Over the years, he angered many in the Senate by holding up legislation and cutting deals to get what he wanted. Among other things, he faced scrutiny over his financial ties to the coal industry. Manchin owned a coal brokerage business that paid his blind trust $500,000 per year while he was serving in the Senate. He resigned from the Democratic Party and became an independent shortly before leaving the Senate in 2024.
CNN is reporting that Manchin is forming a group to promote independent candidates across the country. The new group, the Independent Leadership Council, held its first meeting on July 23 in West Virginia. Manchin says he will head the group along with his daughter. Seth Bodnar attended, along with only two other independent candidates: Kevin Kiley, a former Republican now running as an independent in California, and Iowa congressional candidate Michael Bridgford.
Manchin’s daughter, Heather, a former pharmaceutical executive, will be leading the effort alongside her father. In 2023, she founded a group called Americans Together, which has also been promoting independent campaigns. Also in attendance at the meeting with Bodnar was Adam Brandon, a former Tea Party leader and president of FreedomWorks, a conservative political organization that closed in 2024. Another person attending was Seth Cohen, former Chief Impact Officer at Forbes Media and now working for the Independent Center.
As a clearer picture of Bodnar emerges, there is plenty to be concerned about. Taking his cues from someone like Joe Manchin is definitely a warning sign.
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
Here’s a strange thing about the Republicans in the Montana Legislature — and it’s a hard thing to explain. Why is it that we have so many legislators who are close relatives? Maybe not surprisingly, they also break down across ideological lines. Also not surprisingly, they break down along the sides of the raging war within the Republican Party. There is only one pair of related Democrats, and they are cousins.
We are interested in your thoughts on why there are so many close Republican family members serving together in the legislature. There has to be some reason… not sure what it is. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The Hard Right, Conspiracy Crowd
Here we see the Regier family of Kalispell. The current Senate President is Matt Regier. He was primarily responsible for the division of Senate Republicans when he tried to bury members he didn’t like with poor committee assignments. He failed and set off a conflict that dominated the entire legislative session. That conflict is still reverberating through Republican primaries across the state. That’s effective leadership for you.
His sister, Amy Regier, is currently in the House of Representatives. Their father, Keith Regier, served in the legislature (both House and Senate) until 2021.
Photo of Keith Regier
Photo of Matt Regier
Photo of Amy Regier
Next in line are Jedediah and Caleb Hinkle of Belgrade. Both are in the Montana House of Representatives. The Hinkle brothers are two of the most extreme right-wing representatives in the legislature. In the past, they have served as Chair and Vice Chair of the House Fish and Game Committee.
Photo of Caleb Hinkle and Jedediah Hinkle
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Steven and Lola Galloway of Great Falls. Both were defeated in the 2024 election. Steven is currently running for the Montana Senate against Ed Buttrey in the Republican primary.
Photo of Steven and Lola Sheldon Galloway
How extreme is Steven Galloway? Check out this video in our previous post:
The More Traditional, Main Street Business Republicans
These married couples are closer to the political center of the already very conservative Montana Republican Party (which is currently dominated by the far right). Do not be confused by the people who call them “moderates.” They are anti–reproductive freedom, receive low scores from environmental groups, and oppose reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.
First, George and Melissa Nikolakakos of Great Falls. Both are current members of the Montana House of Representatives. George is running for a seat in the Senate. His opponent in the primary is Randy Pinocci. Pinocci is probably best known for numerous arrests and for falling asleep in Public Service Commission meetings before he lost his seat on the PSC due to term limits.
Here are links to selected previous WTF406.com posts about Nikolakakos and Pinocci:
Melissa Nikolakakos is currently being challenged by Tony Rosales in the Republican primary. Tony Rosales switched from being a Libertarian to running as a Republican in this election. Rosales ran in a nonpartisan election for school board in Great Falls in 2025.
Photo of George and Melissa Nikolakakos
Husband and wife Daniel and Katie Zolnikov both serve in the legislature representing Yellowstone County — Daniel in the Senate and Katie in the House. Daniel considers himself an expert on energy issues and is unopposed in this election. Katie has no primary opponent and will face Mike Eaton on the general election ballot. She also focuses on energy issues in the legislature.
Photo of Daniel and Katie Zolnikov
The Father and Son Who Take Care of Big Business
John Fitzpatrick currently represents House District 76 in Anaconda. He has a long history of representing large corporations in Montana and in the legislature. His résumé includes working for Pegasus Gold Mining (now bankrupt) and NorthWestern Energy, in addition to his own business activities. He is being challenged from the right by Trish Schreiber in the Republican primary. There is also an independent candidate, Shayne Morgan, who has filed in the race but has not yet gathered the signatures to be on the ballot.
Steve Fitzpatrick is John Fitzpatrick’s son. He currently serves in the Montana House representing House District 24 in Great Falls. He is an attorney for the silk-stocking law firm Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven (BKBH), which also represents the Calumet Refinery in Great Falls. He does not have a primary challenger. In the general election, he will face Democrat Pam Carroll, a retired school district employee and current board member of Big Sky 55+, an advocacy organization for Montana seniors.
Below are selected previous WTF406.com posts about Steve Fitzpatrick:
Prominent Repubs and Dems Tired of Partisanship, Money Fueling MT Politics
By Bill Lombardi
As factions in Montana Republican and Democratic circles vigorously debate the use of “Dark Money” and spar over outside influences on state races, a new nonprofit has emerged to leverage the seeming rising power of “moderates” who shun party influence and cut legislative deals that anger their partisans.
Beyond Party – Montana First
Called Beyond Party – Montana First, this new nonprofit is helmed by a crew of key Republicans and Democrats who want to temper the partisanship engendered by political parties and ensure that politicians get support to create policy that appears to benefit Montana citizens and not just one political party or another.
“Beyond Party is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting the principles of good government,” the group, which registered with the Montana Secretary of State last October, says on its website.
The group says that “your contribution nurtures Republican and Democratic principles articulated in the Montana constitution by empowering principled candidates, countering the corrosive forces of unrelenting partisanship and unlimited money, and mobilizes citizens to reclaim self-governance at every level.”
Beyond Party President Daniel Kemmis of Missoula told me that members were “motivated” to break from party rule after nine state Senate Republicans (dubbed the “Nasty Nine” by hard-core GOP members) famously teamed up with Senate Democrats last year in the Montana Legislature to “stop really bad legislation, especially about partisan elections for the judiciary.” Currently, candidates don’t declare partisan leanings in judicial races.
“Our feeling has been, that especially those that are in red [GOP] districts, that we’d like to not see them [the nine Republicans] get knocked out,” Kemmis told me. “Most are likely to get primaried. Part of the motivation is to see if there is anything we can do to protect and help these courageous Republicans. And beyond that, we just want to see if there’s anything useful we can do to lower the partisan temperature overall.”
But The Temperature Keeps Rising
The temperature, however, keeps rising in advance of the June 2026 Montana legislative primaries. The feud between more-moderate GOP members, who call themselves Montana Conservative Republicans, and the staunch GOP members who run the party and guide the Montana Freedom Caucus, is boiling over, with social-media darts being lobbed back and forth between the factions.
Far-right Republicans accuse “moderate” Republicans of working with and taking money from Democratic and “progressive” operatives, like Fireweed Campaigns of Helena, while “moderate” GOPers accuse the far-right of being bankrolled by dark money from the Koch-brothers’-funded Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and beholden to “out-of-state interests” and “party bosses.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are, more modestly and discreetly, carping at one another over the same issues – the use of “dark money” that allows donors to be anonymous and is used to elect “moderate” Republicans; the influence of outside groups in dictating who will run for office; and the intervention of a U.S. Senate candidate [Seth Bodnar] who is using former staff and consultants of Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester to run as an independent while criticizing both parties and raising money through the Democratic Party’s ActBlue political action committee account.
Beyond Party wants to eschew the unpleasant work of politics to attract independents
The kind of internecine rugby occurring in both major political parties in Montana is of little use to Beyond Party.
Beyond Party, it seems, wants to eschew the unpleasant work of politics to attract independents and others who want to get things done without getting their hands dirty in partisan shenanigans.
That’s a heavy lift, especially as politicos fiercely compete for attention in a world disorganized by the Texter-In-Chief, President Trump, who has rewired the communication synapses of the masses and patented outrage as a national treasure.
Beyond Party will “actively participate” in elections: “We won’t just endorse; we’ll educate, analyze, and provide clear, unbiased information,” the nonprofit’s website says.
Beyond Party has two purposes: to protect the foundational principles of good government, and to ensure the republic stays strong, relevant, and rooted in the will of the people. Moreover, it will defend citizen self-governance, open government, the democratic process, an independent judiciary, separation of powers, and rule of law.
Who are the bipartisan nonprofit’s founders?
Former GOP Montana Attorney General and Gov. Marc Racicot, who has publicly criticized President Trump’s sensibilities, judgment and “autocratic compulsions”
Former Democratic state Sen. Mike Halligan of Missoula, a Vietnam veteran, lawyer, and philanthropic leader who helmed the The Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation
Missoula attorney Mae Nan Ellingson, who served as a Republican – and youngest – delegate to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention and has been a distinguished lawyer in state finance law and champion of civic education and constitutional integrity
Former state GOP Rep. Joel Krautter, a Billings attorney who unsuccessfully ran for Montana’s eastern congressional seat in 2024 and is known for his bipartisan work for rural communities
Former state Senate President Bob Brown, a teacher and political historian who also served as Montana Secretary of State and ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Republican in 2004
Former Kalispell Police Department Chief Frank Garner, who served in the Montana House of Representatives as a Republican and worked across the aisle on public safety, accountability and government integrity
An eastern Montana farm kid who graduated from Harvard, Kemmis is Beyond Party’s president and is a former Democratic speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, former Missoula mayor, and an author who opines on democracy, leadership and civic life
Beyond Party wants to encourage “moderates” of the Republican and Democratic Parties
Beyond Party does kindly critique political parties on its website: “We acknowledge that political parties have played an important role in American democracy from the outset, and that money has played a similarly important role. But we believe that the role of both parties and money should be kept subordinate to the common good. Because that has not happened, unrestrained partisanship and unlimited money have become the twin challenges of our current political system.”
Other efforts to help elect or reelect so-called “moderate” Republicans in GOP-leaning legislative districts in Montana may have more money. But Beyond Party, Kemmis said, has “slender” funding from “some of our friends. We don’t have any big money at all, and really don’t expect to have any.”
Kemmis said he persuaded the group to be transparent, including in how it’s funded. “I’m not certain that we can stick with that and raise enough money to be effective,” he added.
In a follow-up interview, Kemmis said,“I don’t think parties are going to go away.
“If it were up to me to design things, I wouldn’t have this deeply entrenched two-party system. We would be better off if there were room for more parties,” Kemmis said. “I think the most we can do is when we get into polarized situations we should try to encourage the more-sensible people near the middle of both parties so there is some chance of doing joint problem-solving. To me, that’s the most important thing – to be able to be pragmatic in solving some of the big problems we face. When the two parties are locked in a death grip, it becomes difficult to do this.”
Asked about fundamental principles the group supports, Kemmis said, “The core is democracy itself. But that depends on the ability to deliberate. So you have to be able to work across ideological lines at least to the extent to work things out. Another key is some kind of equity on the financial front so that money doesn’t have more of a role in the process than it should have. There has to be some equity and fairness about where the resources come from. That’s not the case now, and there has to be transparency.”
Is “Beyond Party” the path to end the polarization?
It’s hard to keep up with Montana’s intraparty ping-pong matches. Yet it’s fun, vibrant, and lets voters decide – hopefully out in the open – what kind of candidate and political philosophy that they want. To close the blinds on that sunshine would be a disservice to Montana voters, whose historic libertarian and populist streaks are the best counter to too much of anything.
And, simply, let party members choose which faction they like – or if they don’t like political parties, at all.
