2026 United States Senate election in Montana

2026 United States Senate election in Montana
November 3, 2026
 
Nominee Kurt Alme Alani Bankhead Seth Bodnar
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Incumbent U.S. senator

Steve Daines
Republican


The 2026 United States Senate election in Montana will be held on November 3, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Montana. Republican U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Democratic Air Force officer Alani Bankhead, and independent former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar are the major candidates. Republican incumbent Steve Daines is not seeking a third term.

Primaries were held on June 2. In the Republican primary, Daines announced he would seek re-election, but withdrew minutes before the filing deadline and endorsed Alme, who filed to run the same day. As the only major Republican candidate, Alme was nominated with 76.2% of the vote. Bankhead won the Democratic nomination with 43.7% of the vote over former state representative Reilly Neill and tribal historic preservation officer Michael Black Wolf. Bodnar, supported by former Democratic senator Jon Tester, launched an independent campaign shortly after resigning from the University of Montana.

This is the first open Senate election in Montana since 1976.

Background

Montana is considered to be a red state at the federal level, having not voted for a Democratic president since Bill Clinton's plurality victory in 1992.[1] Recently, the state has also been trending red on a statewide level, as Republicans flipped the governorship in 2020,[2] and the Class I Senate seat in 2024.[3]

Republican primary

The filing deadline for participation in primaries was March 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.[4] At 4:52 p.m. Kurt Alme filed to run, and 3 minutes later Steve Daines withdrew. At 5:02 p.m. Daines announced his withdrawal and endorsed Alme. The last minute switch was seen as controversial.[5] Daines's maneuver has been criticized by members of both parties.[6][7] After the announcement, the Montana Republican Party announced they would not endorse any candidates in any federal races, saying it "supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates."[8]

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Lee Calhoun, mechanical engineer[10]
  • Charles WalkingChild, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024[11]

Withdrawn

Endorsements

Kurt Alme
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
Statewide officials
Organizations
Steve Daines (withdrawn)
Executive branch officials
Organizations
Declined to endorse
Political parties

Fundraising

Italics indicate a withdrawn candidate.

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Steve Daines (R) $8,335,510 $4,168,226 $4,275,067
Kurt Alme (R) $1,184,127 $261,875 $922,256
Source: Federal Election Commission[21]

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme		 Lee
Calhoun		 Charles
WalkingChild		 Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton[22][A] April 29 – May 7, 2026 — (RV) — 73% 12% 15% —

Results

Republican primary results[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kurt Alme 128,716 76.1
Republican Lee Calhoun 23,872 14.1
Republican Charles WalkingChild 16,474 9.7
Total votes 169,062 100.0

Democratic primary

Five candidates stood in the Democratic primary. By the end of March, the Democratic field had collectively raised $123,629.43, the vast majority of which was by Reilly Neill, a former state legislator. Neill launched her campaign for Senate immediately following Jon Tester's loss to Tim Sheehy in 2024, and had run a write-in campaign in 2024 for the second district to the U.S. house, after John Driscoll, the Democratic candidate, refused to spend more than $5,000 on his campaign.[24] A poll conducted in late April and early May for the Montana Free Press by Eagleton suggested that the Democratic candidates for Senate were largely unknown by Montanans.[22]

Alani Bankhead, an Air Force veteran based in Helena, had raised just over $10,000 by the end of March, leaving her at a heavy financial disadvantage. However, in May, the Progressive Vet PAC (political action committee) spent $592,000 on mailers in support of Bankhead.[25] Meanwhile, the More Jobs, Less Government PAC invested in ads attacking Neill as a liberal, and saying that Bankhead would work with Donald Trump.[26][27] The Progressive Vet PAC, founded in April 2026, had former Democratic state representative Moffie Funk as its treasurer, while the More Jobs, Less Government PAC worked to promote the election of Sheehy, a Republican, in 2024. Financial filings by the More Jobs, Less Government PAC declared that their ads were in support of Bankhead, although the Progressive Vet PAC has said that the attack ads are designed to elevate Neill over Bankhead.[25][26]

Brian Miller, a candidate for the U.S. House in the second district, suggested that Progressive Vet's spending was designed to benefit independent candidate Seth Bodnar, in the hopes Bankhead would win the primary and drop out in support of Bodnar. Neill publicly stated she would not drop out of the general election, and when asked by the Montana Free Press if she would drop out, Bankhead said "not only no, but hell no".[25]

Both Neill and Bankhead campaigned in rural areas of Montana. Neill supported expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act, new educational grants, and rural healthcare, while Bankhead advocated for cuts to red tape, greater accountability in government, and protecting children and the elderly.[28]

The Associated Press called the primary for Bankhead at 9:53pm on election night. Preliminary figures showed Bankhead with 44% of the vote to Neill's 33%. Michael Black Wolf, a tribal historic preservation officer from the Fort Belknap Indian Community, placed third with 13%.[29][30] Speaking to KTVH about the results of the primary, Jeremy Johnson, a professor from Carroll College who chairs their Department of Political Science and International Relations, said that Republicans were likely to prefer running against both a Democrat and independent, and "if that could be consolidated down to one candidate, it'd be interesting to see what that could look like in November".[31]

Candidates

Nominee

  • Alani Bankhead, Air Force lieutenant colonel and leadership coach[32]

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Declined

Endorsements

Reilly Neill
Statewide officials

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Alani Bankhead (D) $23,884 $11,307 $13,737
Michael Black Wolf (D) $26,144 $25,616 $528
Michael Hummert (D) $12,230 $3,192 $9,783
Reilly Neill (D) $293,990 $220,637 $73,353
Source: Federal Election Commission[21]

Results


Democratic primary results[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alani Bankhead 48,772 43.6
Democratic Reilly Neill 36,880 33.0
Democratic Michael Black Wolf 14,678 13.1
Democratic Christopher Kehoe 7,108 6.4
Democratic Michael Hummert 4,305 3.9
Total votes 111,743 100.0

Libertarian primary

The Libertarian primary was contested by two candidates — Clancy resident Tom Jandron, and Billings pharmacist Kyle Austin, twice a candidate in the Republican U.S. House primary for the 2nd district.[39] Jandron was unanimously endorsed by Libertarian delegates for Senate at the party's April convention, with the party stating that he was more ideologically aligned to libertarian ideals than Austin.[40]

Austin opposed increasing the size of the federal government and the national debt. He expressed concern about changes by Congress in 2025 to limit access to Medicaid, but supported work requirements for benefits. Jandron supported the Defend the Guard proposal, said that Republicans in Montana had not done enough to counter rising spending or government surveillance, and described himself as an ideological libertarian, having been a member of the party for five years.[41]

Austin won the primary, but was disavowed by the Montana Libertarian Party.[31]

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Tom Jandron, aviation professional[10][43]

Endorsements

Tom Jandron
Political parties

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of May 20, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Kyle Austin (L) $262,095 $233,572 $28,523
Source: Federal Election Commission[21]

Results

Libertarian primary results[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Libertarian Kyle Austin 1,819 53.3
Libertarian Tom Jandron 1,592 46.7
Total votes 3,411 100.0

Independents

Candidates

Former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar announced his candidacy as an independent on March 4, 2026, two months after he resigned from the university.[44][45] He entered the race with the backing of former Democratic senator Jon Tester, who represented Montana for three terms until his defeat in the 2024 election.[46] Bodnar received nearly 30,000 signatures across 52 of Montana's 56 counties to qualify for the ballot, far exceeding the required 13,327 signatures.[47] County election administrators accepted 21,284 of the signatures, making Bodnar the first independent candidate to reach the ballot for a federal office in Montana since 2022.[48][49]

Declared

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Seth Bodnar (I) $2,113,231 $1,149,310 $963,921
Source: Federal Election Commission[21]

General election

Campaign

At a June 15 press conference, her first after winning the primary, Bankhead stated she would remain in the race and called upon Bodnar to drop out, citing a gender discrimination lawsuit filed against the University of Montana (UM) in 2021. A spokesperson for the Bodnar campaign said that he had taken claims of discrimination seriously while president of UM, and that no wrongdoing had been found as a result of the lawsuit.[51]

As polls show Alme likely to win a three-way race, Democratic leaders increasingly called on their nominee, Bankhead, to drop out of the race, believing Bodnar was their best hope to beat Alme.

Since mid-July, Montana Freedom PAC, a political action committee supporting Bodnar, has paid for signs and digital advertising suggesting Bankhead should leave the race. As of early August the committee had spent more than $1 million on advertising benefiting Bodnar.[52][53]

On the deadline for candidate withdrawal, August 10,[17] HuffPost reported that Bankhead was choosing to stay in the race, keeping it a three-way contest.[54]

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[55] Solid R April 13, 2026
Decision Desk HQ[56] Likely R July 14, 2026
The Economist[57][b] Safe R July 30, 2026
FiftyPlusOne[58] Likely R August 3, 2026
Fox News[59] Solid R July 21, 2026
Inside Elections[60] Solid R July 12, 2026
Race To The WH[61] Safe R August 14, 2026
RealClearPolitics[62] Lean R May 27, 2026
Sabato's Crystal Ball[63] Solid R August 19, 2026
Silver Bulletin[64] Solid R August 11, 2026

Endorsements

Seth Bodnar (I)
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Party officials
Individuals
Labor unions
Organizations
Political parties
Declined to endorse
Political parties

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Kurt Alme (R) $1,984,860 $534,142 $1,450,718
Alani Bankhead (D) $58,829 $37,011 $21,484
Kyle Austin (L) $262,194 $242,362 $19,832
Seth Bodnar (I) $3,238,150 $2,260,371 $977,779
Source: Federal Election Commission[21]

Polling

Aggregate polls
Source of poll
aggregation		 Dates
administered		 Dates
updated		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Alani
Bankhead (D)		 Seth
Bodnar (I)		 Undecided Margin
FiftyPlusOne[84] through August 4, 2026 August 15, 2026 44.6% 22.0% 26.0% 7.4% Alme +18.6%
Race to the WH[85] through August 4, 2026 August 13, 2026 44.0% 18.9% 27.5% 9.6% Alme +16.5%
Average 44.3% 20.5% 26.8% 8.5% Alme +17.5%
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Alani
Bankhead (D)		 Seth
Bodnar (I)		 Kyle
Austin (L)		 Undecided
Hart Research (D)[86][B] August 1–4, 2026 800 (LV) – 45% 15% 30% 6% 4%
46% – 46% – 8%
52% 38% – – 10%
Tavern Research (D)[87] July 23–27, 2026 517 (LV) ± 5.0% 49% 24% 25% 2% —
49% 24% 27% — —
GQR (D)[88][C] July 23–26, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 41% 22% 27% 6% 4%
Bullfinch Group (R)[89] July 13–16, 2026 793 (LV) ± 3.48% 36% 22% 24% — 18%
GrayHouse (R)[90] June 23–24, 2026 500 (RV) ± 4.4% 41% 25% 17% 3% 13%
Hart Research (D)[91][D] June 18–24, 2026 800 (LV) — 47% 22% 25% — 6%
Tavern Research (D)[92][90] June 16–19, 2026 400 (LV) ± 6.1% 49% 26% 24% 2% —
Public Opinion Strategies (R)[93][E] June 8–11, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 44% 25% 20% 4% 7%
Hypothetical polling

Kurt Alme vs. Alani Bankhead vs. Kyle Austin

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Alani
Bankhead (D)		 Kyle
Austin (L)		 Undecided
Tavern Research (D)[87] July 23–27, 2026 517 (LV) ± 5.0% 59% 41% — —
56% 36% 8% —
GQR (D)[88][C] July 23–26, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 44% 40% 13% 4%
52% 44% — 4%
Hart Research (D)[91][D] June 18–24, 2026 800 (LV) — 49% 43% — 8%
Tavern Research (D)[92] June 16–19, 2026 400 (LV) ± 6.1% 56% 44% — —

Kurt Alme vs. Seth Bodnar vs. Kyle Austin

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Seth
Bodnar (I)		 Kyle
Austin (L)		 Other Undecided
Tavern Research (D)[87] July 23–27, 2026 517 (LV) ± 5.0% 50% 45% 5% — —
51% 49% — — —
GQR (D)[88][C] July 23–26, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 40% 44% 11% — 5%
44% 50% — — 6%
Hart Research (D)[91][D] June 18–24, 2026 800 (LV) — 47% 45% — — 8%
Tavern Research (D)[92] June 16–19, 2026 400 (LV) ± 6.1% 50% 50% — — —
Tavern Research (D)[94][C] May 13–18, 2026 607 (LV) ± 5.1% 50% 50% — — —
Change Research (D)[95][F] March 17–20, 2026 616 (LV) ± 4.2% 37% 35% — 2%[c] 26%

Kurt Alme vs. Reilly Neill vs. Seth Bodnar

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Reilly
Neill (D)		 Seth
Bodnar (I)		 Other Undecided
Tavern Research (D)[94][C] May 13–18, 2026 607 (LV) ± 5.1% 46% 24% 26% 3%[d] —
58% 42% — — —

Steve Daines vs. Reilly Neill vs. Seth Bodnar

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Steve
Daines (R)		 Reilly
Neill (D)		 Seth
Bodnar (I)		 Other Undecided
American Pulse Research & Polling[96] February 14–18, 2026 607 (LV) ± 4.0% 52% 25% 16% data-sort-value="" style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center" class="table-na" | — 7%
56% 37% —
51% — 42%
yes. every kid.[97] January 23–26, 2026 500 (RV) ± 4.4% 43% 19% 15% 3%[e] 20%

Steve Daines vs. Seth Bodnar as a Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Steve
Daines (R)		 Seth
Bodnar (D)		 Undecided
American Pulse Research & Polling[96] February 14–18, 2026 607 (LV) ± 4.0% 54% 40% 6%

Kurt Alme vs. generic Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Kurt
Alme (R)		 Generic
Democrat		 Undecided
Tavern Research (D)[92] June 16–19, 2026 400 (LV) ± 6.1% 56% 44% —
Tavern Research (D)[94][C] May 13–18, 2026 607 (LV) ± 5.1% 56% 44% —


See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. ↑ The Economist's prediction model uses unconventional terminology. For the purpose of equivalency, their "Very Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Likely" rating while "Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Lean" rating.
  3. ↑ "Would not vote" with 2%
  4. ↑ Tom Jandron (L) with 3%
  5. ↑ "Someone else/Other" with 2%; "Do not plan to vote" with 1%
Partisan clients
  1. ↑ Poll sponsored by the Montana Free Press
  2. ↑ Poll sponsored by Forward Montana, which supports Bodnar
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Poll commissioned by Contours Inc.
  4. 1 2 3 Poll commissioned by The Majority Institute, a research firm that supports Democrats
  5. ↑ Poll commissioned by The Political Company, a consulting firm that supports Republicans
  6. ↑ Poll sponsored by Independent Candidate Action, which supports Bodnar

References

  1. ↑ "Montana Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin". 270toWin.com.
  2. ↑ Rosenberg, Benjamin (November 4, 2020). "Greg Gianforte flips Montana governorship to Republicans". Vox.
  3. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2024/11/09/nx-s1-5181908/with-democratic-senator-jon-testers-loss-in-montana-republicans-take-full-control
  4. ↑ "2026 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION CALENDAR". Montana Secretary of State. October 2025.
  5. ↑ Browning, Kellen (March 5, 2026). "A Sly Political Switcheroo Stuns Montana and Starts a New Senate Fight". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5772231-steve-daines-retirement-maneuver/
  7. ↑ Cohen, Lauren Fox, Ethan (March 5, 2026). "Montana GOP Sen. Steve Daines won't seek reelection in shock announcement at filing deadline | CNN Politics". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 "Montana GOP won't endorse in federal races this cycle". News From The States. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Trump backs former federal prosecutor for Daines Senate seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 "FEDERAL PRIMARY 2026 Candidate List". candidatefiling.mt.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  11. ↑ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1927829". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Drew, Micah (March 5, 2026). "With just minutes before filing deadline closes, Daines shocks Montana by withdrawing • Daily Montanan". Daily Montanan. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Trump Endorses Alme for Montana Senate as Daines Steps Aside". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Miller, Blair (April 23, 2025). "Daines gets Trump's endorsement as he readies 2026 Senate reelection bid". Independent Record. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Kurt Alme files for U.S. Senate, immediately endorsed by outgoing Sen. Daines, President Trump". News From The States. Retrieved March 5, 2026. In his announcement, Alme noted he also received endorsements from President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, and Gov. Greg Gianforte.
  16. ↑ "AFP Action Endorses Kurt Alme for U.S. Senate". AFP Action. May 7, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Drew, Micah (July 24, 2026). "Independent earns progressive endorsements in Montana Senate race". KPVI.
  18. ↑ "RJC Proudly Endorses 8 GOP US Senate Candidates in Key 2026 Races". Republican Jewish Coalition. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Leading Nat'l Pro-Life Group Endorses Kurt Alme for MT-Sen". SBA Pro-Life America. April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  20. ↑ "- AIPAC Political Portal". candidates.aipacpac.org. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "2026 Election United States Senate – Montana". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Lutey, Tom (May 19, 2026). "Montana U.S. Senate candidates largely unknown to voters, poll finds". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 "Primary Election - June 2, 2026". Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  24. ↑ Lutey, Tom (May 8, 2026). "In Senate race, underfunded Democrats try to fend off a challenge from the middle". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Lutey, Tom (May 15, 2026). "The mailers fueling speculation in Montana's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  26. 1 2 Lutey, Tom (May 26, 2026). "The Sheehy-supporting PAC trying to define Montana's Democratic Senate candidates". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  27. ↑ Everett, Burgess (June 1, 2026). "Why groups are spending big in Montana's Democratic Senate primary". Semafor. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  28. ↑ Hansen, Jordan (May 28, 2026). "Neill, Bankhead look to court rural voters in Senate primary". Daily Montanan. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  29. ↑ Hansen, Jordan (June 4, 2026). "Bankhead wins Dem Senate primary". Daily Montana. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  30. ↑ Lutey, Tom (June 2, 2026). "Republican Kurt Alme and Democrat Alani Bankhead declared Senate primary winners by The Associated Press". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  31. 1 2 Ambarian, Jonathon (June 3, 2026). "Political science professor reacts to Montana primary results". KTVH. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  32. ↑ Ragar, Shaylee (January 6, 2026). "Two more Montana Democrats launch congressional campaigns". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  33. ↑ Ambarian, Jonathon (November 14, 2025). "Montana U.S. Senate race: Daines up for third term, three Democrats running". KTVH. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Filing FEC-1864033". Federal Elections Commission. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  35. ↑ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1953057". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  36. ↑ Batura, Sean (November 19, 2024). "Park County resident runs for U.S. Senate". The Livingston Enterprise. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  37. ↑ McLaughlin, Kate. "McLaughlin Withdraws". Facebook. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  38. ↑ Guggenheim, Benjamin; Kashinsky, Lisa; Razor, Calen; McCarthy, Mia (June 25, 2025). "Johnson warns about a Medicaid backlash". Politico. Retrieved June 25, 2025. Jon Tester won't run for elected office again after losing his Senate seat in the 2024 election, telling our Garrett Downs he's happy in retirement on his Montana farm. He would have been a top recruit for Democrats to take on GOP Sen. Steve Daines next year
  39. ↑ Lutey, Tom (March 18, 2026). "Is Montana having a Libertarian moment?". Montana Free Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  40. 1 2 Lepeska, David (April 29, 2026). "Libertarians back Clancy's Jandron for U.S. Senate". The Monitor. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  41. ↑ Ambarian, Jonathon (May 7, 2026). "Primary 2026: Two Libertarian candidates seek chance to provide alternative in U.S. Senate race". KTVH. Archived from the original on June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  42. ↑ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1930861". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  43. ↑ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1955829". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  44. ↑ Brown, Matthew (March 4, 2026). "Former Montana university leader Seth Bodnar launches independent campaign against GOP Sen. Daines". Associated Press. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  45. ↑ Federal Elections Commission, United States. "Seth Bodnar Filing". Seth Bodnar Filing March 4. FEC. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  46. ↑ Lutey, Tom (January 14, 2026). "Bodnar plans Senate run as an independent, and Tester's apparent support angers Democrats in Montana". Montana Free Press. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  47. ↑ Drew, Micah (May 26, 2026). "Bodnar outraises Alme in pre-primary filings, submits signatures for ballot". Daily Montanan. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Counties submit candidate petition signatures to Montana Secretary of State's Office". Official Website of Christi Jacobsen and The Montana Secretary of State's Office. Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  49. ↑ Lutey, Tom (March 4, 2026). "Former UM president Seth Bodnar enters Montana Senate race as independent". Montana Free Press. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  50. ↑ Ambarian, Jonathon (March 4, 2026). "Bodnar announces independent run for Senate". KXLH. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  51. ↑ Thomas, Mariah (June 15, 2026). "In Montana Senate Race, Democrat Bankhead Doubles Down on Bid Against Bodnar". Flathead Beacon. Archived from the original on June 15, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  52. ↑ Lutey, Tom (August 6, 2026). "Scenes from a dropout deadline". Montana Free Press. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Montana Freedom PAC, committee C00943910". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  54. ↑ Blumenthal, Paul (August 10, 2026). "Montana Democrat Stays In Senate Race Despite Pressure To Drop Out". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  55. ↑ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  56. ↑ "2026 Senate Ratings". Decision Desk HQ. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  57. ↑ "2026 Senate Forecast". The Economist. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  58. ↑ "2026 Congressional Forecast". FiftyPlusOne. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  59. ↑ Numa, Rémy (July 21, 2026). "Fox News Power Rankings: Voters say they're in economic pain, but will Democrats gain". Fox News. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  61. ↑ "2026 Senate Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  62. ↑ "Battle for the Senate 2026". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  63. ↑ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  64. ↑ Silver, Nate; McKown-Dawson, Eli (August 21, 2026) [August 11, 2026]. "FLIPR 2026 midterm election forecast". Silver Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 22, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026 – via Substack.
  65. ↑ Browning, Kellen; Healy, Jack (June 15, 2026). "A G.O.P. Senate Seat in Montana Seemed Vulnerable. Then, the Left Splintered". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  66. 1 2 3 4 Graf, Carly (June 15, 2026). "Bankhead insists she won't drop from Senate race; Bodnar rolls out flashy endorsements". Billings Gazette. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  67. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (July 24, 2026). "Joe Manchin reenters the political orbit with a new independent experiment". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  68. 1 2 3 Scherer, Michael (April 21, 2026). "Big Sky Crack-Up". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  69. ↑ "Inside the Montana Senate race giving both Democrats and the GOP heartburn". Newsweek. July 12, 2026. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  70. ↑ Healy, Jack (April 23, 2026). "An Independent Senate Hopeful Tries to Scare Off Montana Democrats". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  71. ↑ Keenan, Nancy (June 9, 2026). "Viewpoint: The Independent Path to Protecting Our Democracy". Missoula Current. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  72. ↑ "Montana Democrats, it's time for a hard truth". Billings Gazette. July 14, 2026. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  73. ↑ Yang, Andrew (April 27, 2026). "Seth Bodnar". Substack. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  74. 1 2 Foley, Erin (July 14, 2026). "Montana's working families cannot afford more of the same in the U.S. Senate". Billings Gazette. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
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  76. ↑ "SEIU 775 Montana members are proud to endorse Independent candidate Seth Bodnar for the United States Senate". Facebook. SEIU 775. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  77. 1 2 Lutey, Tom (April 17, 2026). "Republican, independent candidates outraise Democrats in federal races". Montana Free Press. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
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  79. ↑ Boyer, Alice (August 6, 2026). "Seth Bodnar Has Earned Our Endorsement". Flathead Beacon. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  80. ↑ "MCV endorses Independent candidate Seth Bodnar for US Senate". Montana Conservation Voters. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  81. ↑ "Candidates". Forward Party. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  82. ↑ Evans, Jordan Willow (August 26, 2026). "Reform Party Makes Candidate Endorsements in Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Montana". Independent Political Report. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  83. ↑ "Montana Libertarian Party will not endorse Austin". Montana Libertarian Party. June 3, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
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