ICYMI
Independent Seth Bodnar Joins Jon Tester and Maritsa Georgiou on Grounded Podcast
MISSOULA, MT — Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar joined former U.S. Senator from Montana Jon Tester and journalist Maritsa Georgiou on the Grounded podcast for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about how and why he decided to run for the U.S. Senate, what he would focus on when elected, and why he believes Montana’s next senator shouldn’t answer to either national Party.
Watch the full interview here. Below are key excerpts:
Yes, Sir: A Conversation with Seth Bodnar
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou
September 2, 2026
ON BOTH PARTIES FAILING MONTANA:
“Montanans are two things: exhausted and hungry. They're exhausted from working harder and harder while falling further behind. And they're exhausted by the toxicity of our political system. But they're also hungry for leadership that brings us together, leadership that says, ‘I don't think either party has a monopoly on good ideas.’ I'm willing to work with either party when it makes sense for Montana and for the country, and I'm willing to stand up to either party when it doesn't. That's the type of leadership we need to move us forward.”
ON WHETHER JON TESTER RECRUITED SETH TO RUN:
“No. I came to this conclusion myself and with my wife … Funny thing, I don't know if I ever told you this, Senator Tester, but somebody once tried to recruit me to run and challenge you in 2024. And I said, ‘Hell no, I'm not going to do that.’”
“I didn't want to be 80 years old, God willing, with grandkids, and have to look them in the eye when they ask, ‘Grandpa, Grandma, when you saw this happening, what did you guys do?’ And have the answer be, ‘Well, I had a job I really liked, I made a good amount of money, we were fine, and we hoped somebody else would fix it, but nobody did.’ And then have them ask, ‘Well, why didn't you step up?’ I didn't want to have that conversation. We wanted to be able to say that, in the moment when it mattered, we didn't wait for other people to fix this country, we tried to step up.”
ON DATA CENTERS:
“I'm against anything that happens to Montana communities without their involvement. I'm against anything that threatens our water, our wildlife, our habitat, or drives up utility rates for ratepayers across this state to benefit big companies. We have to recognize that AI has the potential for real, positive, transformational impact, but also the potential to cause real harm. We need to make sure Montanans aren't taken advantage of, and that big companies don't get to come in here and exploit us.”
“Earlier this week we released a Protect Montana AI Pledge, one that really only an independent can make. It protects six things … You can't bury your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist, but you also can't let it be an unfettered, unregulated free-for-all. What we need is a plan, not slogans, not punting the problem down the road. That's what we released.”
ON WHY ONE SENATE VOTE MATTERS:
"One vote in the U.S. Senate is the difference between Pete Hegseth being in charge of 2.1 million of America's sons and daughters, he was confirmed with JD Vance casting the deciding vote, and both of Montana's senators voting yes. And one vote was the difference between a Chilean billionaire's copper mine going into the Boundary Waters Wilderness area of Minnesota, both of our U.S. senators voted yes. If I were in the U.S. Senate, I could have stopped that."
ON TRADE:
“Let's also talk about the nonsensical trade war we just entered with our largest trading partner. Montana shares the largest border with Canada of any state. Senator Tester can tell you, farmers and ranchers rely on parts and fertilizer from across that border. I think about 20 percent of our cattle herd crosses the border, either to be fed and come back, and tourism from Canada has taken a huge dip over the past year. So you're seeing small businesses, ranchers, and farmers just suffering through terrible policies. I've left so many meetings with small business owners, farmers, ranchers, thinking, why the hell are we making it so hard on people? Why aren't we supporting people who are working their tails off? I could talk for two hours about what we ought to do, but first and foremost, we need leaders who actually focus on what matters to the people working hard to make a living in this state.”
ON THE POLARIZATION OF THE MILITARY:
“When you politicize the U.S. military, you strike at the very heart of what makes this country special. George Marshall famously didn't vote, because he believed his job was to carry out the orders of civilian leadership, full stop. I struggled with that myself and decided I should still vote, but the principle matters … I saw a report that around 10 percent of the military's top officers have been cut, line by line, by the Secretary of Defense based on perceptions of their loyalty or ideology. We should be deeply concerned.”
ON WHAT HE WOULD FOCUS ON IN THE SENATE:
“I’d focus on issues affecting Montana: agriculture, energy, natural resources. I've talked to a lot of farmers and ranchers, and they're struggling. You know this better than I do, Senator, who am I to explain farming to you. But look at the monopolistic power in, say, the fertilizer market: farmers are paying higher prices for fertilizer and other inputs while not getting fair prices for the higher-quality products they produce. Look at our ranchers. Eighty-five percent of meatpacking capacity is controlled by four firms. Let's enforce the antitrust laws already on the books and make sure our producers here can compete and win. That's first and foremost. Indian Affairs is another priority. Our Tribal communities in Montana are vitally important, and I want to be a strong voice for Indian Country. The treaties sovereign nations signed with the United States ought to be honored, fulfilled, and met. So it's Montana first, the issues that matter to Montanans. And then the areas where I have some knowledge, like defense and veterans' affairs.”
ON ELEVATING WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA:
“We had some challenges when I got [to the University of Montana], but we invested in the Women's Leadership Initiative, and in something called the Sea Change Initiative, raising a million dollars for it. We built career development programs. When I arrived at UM, only one of our deans was a woman; by the time I left, seven of our deans were women, all hired during my tenure. When I arrived, zero of our permanent vice presidents were women. When I left, three of our vice presidents were women, and the majority of our leadership team was women. That wasn't some orchestrated effort. We hired the best people, supported career development, and opened up opportunities. We had great leaders in place, and we made incredible progress: we grew our graduation rate by a third, doubled our research output, put $400 million into campus, and became an R1 research university. That happened because we hired great leaders, the majority of whom were women.”
ON WHO HE'D CAUCUS WITH:
“I expect I'll get committee assignments the same way other senators do, through negotiation. But you can have an impact even on committees you're not on. More broadly, if I have the privilege of serving Montana in the U.S. Senate, my intention is to work with other independent-minded senators, from either party. They don't have to leave their party. If we form a bloc of three, four, five independent-minded senators, not only does every piece of legislation have to go through that bloc, but that small bloc could be a vehicle to advance impactful, common-sense legislation.”
IN RESPONSE TO DEMOCRATS UPSET ABOUT HIM RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT:
“Montana deserves a U.S. Senator who doesn't have to answer to Chuck Schumer, and a U.S. Senator who isn't afraid of Donald Trump, a senator who's going to work for them. That's what I intend to do. You can be a proud Montana Democrat and still vote for an independent to represent our state in the U.S. Senate. I want to earn the vote of every Democrat I possibly can. I want to serve Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Here's the thing: the way you win in Montana right now is by building a coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. And we're building that coalition.”