Disarray within Montana Democratic Party | Kim Welzenbach

“Political parties are free to choose who represents them,” the letter says, “And in 2026, Montana Democrats can do just that.” This is true, as long as “Montana Democrats” refers only to recently defeated Democrat Jon Tester and a small group of elites within the MDP. The letter is desperate to paint its proposition as anything other than an explicit admission that in Montana politics, the Democrat label is the kiss of death. Seth Bodnar, though a liberal, broadcast a very clear message to the MDP by choosing not to associate with them.

As Montana’s long history of unsuccessful independent candidates makes clear, the letter’s proposed strategy offers no realistic path to victory, only the prospect of a somewhat mitigated defeat. Indeed, by eliminating themselves from the running, Montana Democrats would only make their own defeat a certainty; demonstrating that the MDP lacks not only what it takes to win a federal race, but the will to compete at all.

Make no mistake: if the Democrat Party takes its own candidate behind the woodshed in order to bend the knee to a non-Democrat candidate, it would be nothing less than the unconditional surrendering of its own legitimacy as a political organization.

The MDP’s First Amendment rights as a free association are cited in the letter in support of its authors’ arguments. Fair enough. But like freedom of speech, also protected by the First Amendment, freedom of association can be used well or poorly. In this case, an important distinction exists between issues regarding constitutional legality and whether or not the Montana Democrat Party will continue to function as a viable, politically coherent organization.

The Montana Republican Party’s defense of its rights to free association stems directly from a majority-driven effort to enact reforms to make our party a stronger, bottom-up organization. The MDP, by contrast, is hoping that the First Amendment will empower a small group of elites to thwart what the majority of their party wants.

Taking a broader view, it’s become clear that the MDP would rather commit electoral suicide than moderate itself to be more palatable to voters. Regardless, the MTGOP will continue its work of leaving behind Montana’s dull, blue past, and achieving a bright, red future.

And if the MDP does go through with this scheme, then to Democrat candidates, voters, party members, and donors, there’s only one thing left to say … there’s always 2028.