READ
The Monitor: After tug-of-war, Bodnar calls for unity
JEFFERSON COUNTY, MT — In case you missed it, Eliza DuBose of The Monitor sat down with Independent U.S. Senate candidate and Green Beret Seth Bodnar to talk about his campaign, his vision for Montana, and why he believes breaking the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. starts with rejecting party loyalty.
Read the whole article here. Below are key excerpts:
After tug-of-war, Bodnar calls for unity
The Monitor
September 2, 2026
“What we’re putting in front of Montana voters is the choice to be part of a coalition that believes that there is more that Montanans agree upon than we disagree,” Bodnar said in an interview last week. “Part of a coalition that wants to bring people together to solve problems, rather than ripping them apart to win elections.”
“I want to be really clear that I’m not running against Montana Democrats. I’m not running against Montana Republicans,” Bodnar said during an Aug. 26 virtual town hall. “I’m running against a national system that has stopped serving all of us, and you can see evidence of that failure all over the place.”
More than anything, Bodnar appears to be running on his outrage over the partisan paralysis he sees as a symptom of a system in need of a complete overhaul.
“Straight party-line votes, and whatever the party says, you have to sign up and do it,” he said. “I’m willing to work with either party when it makes sense for Montana and for the United States of America, and I’m willing to stand up to either party when it doesn’t.”
Bodnar insists he can build his own coalitions of “independent-minded senators” to aid him in delivering his Montana-first agenda. “You get three, four, five United States senators together, that becomes a very influential bloc in the United States Senate, that can affect a lot of good,” he argued in the interview.
“Americans deserve to know where their beef comes from, and I think Montana ranchers ought to receive a premium price for the higher quality product that they use,” said Bodnar. “It shouldn’t be mixed in with a bunch of imported foreign beef.”
On data centers: [Bodnar] emphasizes local control. “I believe that local communities ought to have a say in whether these types of things happen, whether it’s a mine or a data center,” Bodnar said. “It means that local folks get to decide what happens to their communities.”
“A bad system defeats a good person every time,” Bodnar said. “If you have a few people pushing for substantial systemic reform, you’re going to get a lot of other U.S. Senators who want that type of reform. And then holdouts, we’ll bring them along.”
Bodnar has a politician’s ease in front of the crowds at his events and would likely pass many voters’ ‘beer test’, a semi-controversial theory that measures electability by voters’ willingness to grab a beer with the candidate.
Several potential voters at Bodnar’s Helena speaking events in June, for instance, asserted that he’d “said all the right things.” Many were excited at the prospect of having a Senator that they felt reflected Montana and would prioritize them over party.
“What Seth Bodnar offered more than any other candidate is an understanding of Montana values,” said Clancy resident Leslie O’Niel, pointing to his emphasis on protecting Montana’s natural resources in the face of the repeal of the roadless rule, mining, and data centers.
“Independent vote is more important now more than ever,” [Leslie O’Niel] said, echoing one of Bodnar’s talking points: that independent-minded U.S. senators can hold outsized influence. “He just is saying everything that interests me and that I agree with.”
“Every day I’m going to look at every issue through one lens and one lens only: Is it good for Montana? Is it good for the United States?” he said toward the end of the interview. “That will be my North Star.”