HELENA, MT- 17 lawmakers in Montana are calling on Seth Bodnar (I) and Alani Bankhead (D) to sit down and figure out a plan to prevent split ticketing.
In short—that would call for one person to drop out.
Bodnar responded with that he was interested in having a conversation Bankhead.
A spokesperson for Bankhead said there’s no scenario where Bankhead drops out, that echoes previous remarks she made in a press conference weeks back and in a sit down with NonStop Local.
Bankhead responded to the letter lawmakers sent saying she received 48,772 votes and accuse Bodnar and former Senator Jon Tester of creating the split.
Additionally she received the support and endorsement of the Gallatin County Democrats, online she posted that members of the state parties board is split over their support.
An organization, Progressive Vet PAC, that indirectly supported Bankhead in the primary released that they would no longer be supporting Bankhead because they did not view her as a viable candidate.
Bodnar, running as an independent, completed the necessary steps to be on the ballot as an independent in the state of Montana.
His campaign submitted over 30,000 signatures, the needed amount is 13,327.
Bodnar has received massive widespread support from big name Democrats and Republicans from across Montana.
State Democratic lawmakers believe the only way for this race to be competitive against the Republican, is to remove one of these two entities.
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The letter reads:
Dear Alani and Seth:
As Democratic legislators, we write to both of you as supporters of your longstanding commitment to the values we share in common. We appreciate the extraordinary efforts each of you has made during this unique campaign, and we remain hopeful that this election will result in victories that preserve good government, protect individual liberty, and strengthen our democracy.
With that sincere respect, we also write to express our collective belief that the current three-candidate race for Montana's U.S. Senate seat poses a serious challenge to those goals. While reasonable people may differ in their analysis, we are deeply concerned that a race featuring a Democrat, an Independent, and a Republican substantially increases the likelihood of a Republican victory through a divided center-left vote.
Our concern extends beyond the Senate race alone. A prolonged three-way contest and the resulting divisions among voters, volunteers, donors, allied organizations, and down-ballot candidates will undoubtedly weaken Democratic and allied campaigns across the ballot. We fear the consequences could be felt in the congressional races, in competitive legislative contests throughout Montana, and on the ballot issues we all support.
We recognize that asking either of you to step aside is an extraordinary request and not one we make lightly. Nor do we presume to decide who should continue. That decision belongs to the two of you. We do, however, encourage you to evaluate the objective indicators that consistently determine whether a statewide campaign can succeed.
Among those factors are the strength and experience of the campaign organization; the ability to build a professional team for paid and earned communications, scheduling, fundraising, and voter outreach; endorsements from respected leaders and organizations; demonstrated fundraising capacity from both grassroots supporters and major donors; and credible polling that measures overall electability - testing each of you in a head-to-head race with Kurt Alme.
Based on the information currently available to us, Seth appears to have an advantage on many of these measures. At the same time, we recognize that Alani has only recently secured the Democratic nomination and is now in a position to continue building the infrastructure necessary for a competitive statewide campaign. We acknowledge that the situation is evolving and that both of you are in the best position to assess your respective paths forward.
Time, however, is short. Every week that passes makes it more difficult to unify supporters, consolidate resources, and mount the strongest possible campaign for November. We therefore respectfully urge the two of you to meet promptly, evaluate the objective realities of the race together, and reach a mutually agreed-upon decision regarding who will continue the campaign no later than the end of July or, at the latest, by the candidate withdrawal deadline in early August.
Due to Daines' sudden withdrawal in March, Montanans have a historic opportunity to ensure one more member of the U.S. Senate who fights for the values we share. We have only this election before Daines anointed successor, Kurt Alme, becomes Senator Kurt Alme and cements Republican control of the United States Senate. The stakes are extraordinarily high. We hope you take them seriously, look beyond your personal ambitions, and unite your efforts for the future of our state and country.
We offer this request with great respect for both of you and with gratitude for your willingness to serve Montana. Our only objective is to maximize the opportunity to elect leaders who will defend our democratic institutions and improve the lives of all Montanans.
Signed by:
Rep. Jill Cohenour
HD 83
Rep. Mike Fox
HD 32
Rep. Tom France
HD 99
Rep. Shelly Fyant
HD 91
Rep. SJ Howell
HD 100
Rep. Connie Keogh
HD 92
Rep. Jennifer Lynch
HD 73
Rep. Debo Powers
HD 3
Rep. Marilyn Marler
HD 94
HD Josh Seckinger
Rep. Luke Muszkiewicz
HD 79
Rep. Mark Thane
HD 89
Rep. Paul Tuss
HD 27
Sen. Janet Ellis
SD 41
Sen. Ellie Boldman
SD 47
Sen. Dave Fern
SD 3
Sen. Chris Pope
SD 31
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