Montana Senate Candidates Draw Contrasts on Experience, Affordability and Political Independence

HELENA—The race for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat is giving voters four distinct choices, with Republican Kurt Alme, independent Seth Bodnar, Democrat Alani Bankhead and Libertarian Kyle Austin competing to replace retiring Sen. Steve Daines.

Alme, 59, has made his Montana roots and long record in state and federal public service central to his campaign. Born in Great Falls to two schoolteachers, he lived in several Montana communities growing up, including Dillon, Victor, Helena and Miles City.

After completing school, Alme and his wife, Sandra, returned to Montana and settled in Billings, where they raised their family and became involved in schools, churches and community organizations.

His professional career has included private law practice and senior positions in state and federal government. Alme served as director of the Montana Department of Revenue under former Gov. Judy Martz, later served as Gov. Greg Gianforte’s budget director and also served as U.S. attorney for Montana.

Alme has focused heavily on affordability, housing and government spending during the campaign. He has also emphasized trades education and efforts to strengthen Montana industries including mining, timber and agriculture.

On immigration, Alme supports stronger enforcement at the southern border and prioritizing the deportation of people in the country illegally who have committed crimes. His campaign has also highlighted his experience as a federal prosecutor in addressing drug trafficking and public safety.

He has called for reducing waste and federal spending while supporting more active management of federal lands through forest thinning, prescribed burns and responsible logging. Agriculture has also been a focus, with Alme calling for policies that help ranchers recover from drought, rebuild cattle herds and expand markets for Montana products.

Bodnar is running without a party label after nearly nine years as president of the University of Montana. A former Green Beret, he spent a decade on active duty before moving into the private sector with General Electric and later relocating to Montana.

Bodnar has sought to present his candidacy as an alternative to the traditional two-party system, though his campaign has drawn support from several prominent political figures.

Former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has supported Bodnar, and several members of Tester’s former political operation are working on his campaign. Bodnar is also backed by former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, a retired Washington, D.C., lobbyist.

Bodnar previously registered as a Democrat before moving to Montana and has made political contributions to Democratic candidates. At the same time, his campaign has emphasized his military background, business experience and university leadership rather than a party affiliation.

Bankhead, 44, is running as the Democratic nominee after a career that included military service and work involving child exploitation and human trafficking.

She spent much of her childhood moving as part of a military family before joining the Air Force herself. Her work later brought her to Montana while providing security connected to Malmstrom Air Force Base. After her husband retired from the military in 2021, the family settled in the Helena area.

Bankhead has also worked with an international anti-human-trafficking organization and with the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office on investigations involving online crimes against children. In Montana, she has operated a leadership-development business.

Her campaign has sought to distinguish itself from both Republicans and the Democratic figures supporting Bodnar. Bankhead has argued that she is outside Montana’s traditional Democratic establishment and has pointed to her federal and military experience as preparation for serving in Congress.

The split between Bankhead and Bodnar has become one of the defining dynamics of the race. Several prominent Democrats have backed Bodnar despite Bankhead holding the Democratic nomination, while groups that have often supported Democrats in statewide elections have also endorsed the independent candidate.

Bankhead and Bodnar have increasingly criticized each other over campaign money, political affiliations and support from outside groups. That competition comes as Alme campaigns on his government experience and Republican backing while seeking to keep the focus on affordability, public safety and federal spending.

Libertarian Kyle Austin is also on the general-election ballot, giving Montana voters a four-way contest for the seat.

By: Politics406 Newswire