HELENA — This week, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office officially confirmed independent candidates have qualified for the ballot in Montana’s U.S. Senate race and in the race for the state’s eastern congressional district. Now, there’s growing division among Democrats over whether these nonpartisan campaigns are helping or hurting the chances of winning seats away from Republicans.
WATCH: Democrats divided over independent candidates in Montana US Senate and House races
Former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar got more than the minimum 13,327 voter signatures he needed to secure a place in the Senate race, alongside Republican Kurt Alme, Democrat Alani Bankhead and Libertarian Kyle Austin. Mike Eisenhauer, a cardiologist from Great Falls, needed at least 7,274 signatures to qualify for the eastern House race, against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, Democrat Brian Miller and Libertarian Patrick McCracken.
While Democratic candidates are running in both races, former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester – Montana’s most recently elected statewide Democrat – has thrown his support behind Bodnar and Eisenhauer. Other prominent Democrats have endorsed Bodnar, including former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.
In addition, the independents have touted some endorsements from groups that have backed Democrats in the past. The Montana AFL-CIO, one of the state’s largest labor organizations, endorsed Bodnar and Eisenhauer at its convention in Bozeman last month.
“Frankly, this time there's been a lot of outcry over endorsing independent candidates,” said executive director Jason Small.
Small said the organization’s Committee on Political Education extensively reviewed the candidates and concluded Bodnar and Eisenhauer were best aligned with their goals. He said their endorsements have been “pretty Democrat heavy” over the years, but that the political landscape is always changing.
“If we don't keep up with the times, instead of being at the dinner, we're going to be on the plate,” said Small. “So we have to do what's in the best interest of our membership – and that's not always going to be the status quo.”
With both a Democrat and a well-funded and well-supported independent candidate on the ballot, some are warning that will lead to a split vote that makes it harder to unseat Republicans – especially in the Senate race. Last week, 17 Democratic state lawmakers sent a letter to Bodnar and Bankhead, calling on them to meet and agree to unite behind one of them.
“The stakes are extraordinarily high,” the letter said. “We hope you take them seriously, look beyond your personal ambitions, and unite your efforts for the future of our state and country.”
Rep. Tom France, D-Missoula, was among the signers.
“I think we came together in common cause that we want a strong candidate – a single candidate – and an effort that unifies Montanans rather than divides them in this important race to replace Sen. Daines,” he told MTN.
While the letter said it wouldn’t suggest which candidate should drop out, it said the decision should be based on factors including fundraising, campaign organization and endorsements. It said Bodnar “appears to have an advantage on many of these measures,” though it noted Bankhead “has only recently secured the Democratic nomination.”
“Every candidate thinks that they're a great candidate and should win the election, but I think you’ve got to look at who's got the campaign put together to run and win and make a decision based on that – that will help Montanans, not an individual candidate,” France said.
Meanwhile, several county Democratic committees, including in Lewis and Clark County and Gallatin County, have put out their own letters urging the party to stay united behind Bankhead.
“Whether they're organizations or individuals, they have the right to support whoever they want to, so I'm not going to tell somebody they can't – but it is disappointing to see these folks that have been lifelong advocates for Democratic policies and values, now supporting an independent who has never run for office as a Democrat before,” said Jakob Miles, chair of the Lewis and Clark County Democratic Central Committee.
Bankhead has repeatedly said she wouldn’t consider dropping out of the race. Even if she did, Miles pointed to a state law that says, after a political party’s nominee withdraws, the party “shall appoint someone to replace the candidate.”
“Alani Bankhead or another Democrat will be on the ballot no matter what in November, so the only way that this is a two-candidate race is if Seth Bodnar drops out – and I would ask that he does,” Miles said. “I hope that we can get all of these folks that are currently supporting Bodnar to rally their support behind Alani.”
While people like Miles have argued the Democrats would have to choose a replacement candidate if Bankhead withdrew, a group of attorneys began circling an open letter this week, in which they argued the party central committee could vote to support Bodnar or not to endorse any new candidate.
Emily Marburger, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, told MTN Friday that type of talk was premature and that the party was right now preparing for the reality that the Senate election is a four-way race. She said, in listening to voters across the state, they’ve overwhelmingly heard that people want them to continue backing the party’s nominees.
“I think the overriding message that's maybe coming from some people that a Democrat can't win is what's harmful – because they can win, and not only can they win, they can deliver for Montana when they do,” she said.
Marburger said she understands why people might be interested in trying to run an independent rather than a Democrat in a state like Montana, but that she had doubts about the strategy.
“I think at this point in time, people are really looking for candidates who are going to take firm stances on things and be able to communicate very thoroughly what they believe in, what they're going to fight for, and what kind of elected official they're going to be,” she said. “I think that's always going to be the challenge with an independent.”
The latest any candidate could drop out of the general election is Aug. 10. If they’re representing a party, that party would have until Aug. 19 to choose a replacement.
