NewsNation: “Senate Race is Heating Up In Montana”

Former U.S. Army Green Beret and Independent candidate Seth Bodnar joins NewsNation to discuss his growing cross-party coalition and how MAGA insiders’ fingerprints are all over both of his opponents’ campaigns

MISSOULA, MT — Former U.S. Army Green Beret and Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar joined NewsNation this weekend to discuss the growing momentum behind his Independent campaign and his cross-partisan endorsements, reaffirm his commitment to serve as a true Independent, answering only to Montanans, and lay out how MAGA D.C. insiders have tried to rig this race from both sides.

Below are key excerpts. Watch the full interview here.

On serving as a true Independent:

“I’ve said the same thing in private, I’ve said it in public, and I’ve said it the whole time: when I’m elected to the United States Senate, I’m not going to put a jersey on for either team. I’m not going to put on a red jersey or a blue jersey. I’m going to go fight for Montana. The problem in D.C. right now is that people go there, and the only question they ask is, ‘Is this good for the Republicans, or is this good for the Democrats?’ It’s never, ‘Is this good for Montana? Is this good for the United States of America?’ We need a U.S. senator from Montana who doesn’t work for Chuck Schumer, and a U.S. senator who’s not at all afraid of Donald Trump. A senator who answers to the people of this great state. That’s the only boss I’ll have in Washington, D.C.”

On his cross-party endorsements:

“We’ve had Democratic leaders, our former Republican governor here in Montana, and our former chair of the Republican Party, Susan Geise, endorse our race. And what Montanans are realizing is, the heart and soul of Montana isn’t sitting in a party headquarters. The heart and soul of Montana is found around kitchen tables, around campfires, and on the public lands we all own and love. We’re coming together around our shared values: our care for the environment, our care for farmers and ranchers, and our stewardship obligations to the future of this state. That trumps party every single day. You see more and more Montanans coming our way, and that’s why we’re going to win this thing on November 3rd.”

On the state of the race and his opponents:

“We’re running true to who I am and true to what Montanans want. The facts of this race are that we have a Republican candidate, Kurt Alme, who was installed on the ballot, disenfranchising Republican voters. Steve Daines did that. And the single largest financial supporter of Alani Bankhead is Republican Steve Daines’ super PAC. That’s how messed up this is. The Republican Party is supporting a candidate on the Democratic ticket who has longstanding ties to far-right organizations with anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice views, and who’s still being paid by a publishing company that profits from selling books calling for abortion to be banned. Alani Bankhead’s story doesn’t add up, and Democrats around this state are starting to ask why Steve Daines is spending so much money to support her.

“Montanans are realizing they need a voice who’s going to fight for them in the United States Senate. That’s why you see us gaining in the polls. A poll came out this week that showed us up two points. We’re gaining momentum, we’re working hard every single day in every corner of this state, and that’s why we’re going to win this thing on November 3rd.”

Seth Bodnar is a Green Beret, business leader, and former president of the University of Montana running for the U.S. Senate to be an independent voice for Montana. Seth is guided by a lifelong commitment to duty, honor, and country. He graduated first in his class at West Point and served multiple overseas deployments, leading soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Special Forces Group, and serving as a special advisor to the commanding general in Iraq. After his military service and a successful career in business, Seth spent the last eight years leading the University of Montana. Under his leadership, the university achieved record high graduation rates, doubled research funding, launched the largest infrastructure renewal in campus history, restored financial stability, and was named the #1 military-friendly university in the country. Raised by two public school teachers, he believes leadership is about service, not party loyalty. Seth and his wife, a fifth-generation Montanan, are raising their three children in Montana.

###