Story perspectives

Bodnar, Bankhead Stay on Montana Ballot Amid $1.8M GOP Ads

8/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Independent Seth Bodnar and Democrat Alani Bankhead remain on Montana’s Senate ballot as the Aug. 10 deadline approaches.
Republican PAC spent $1.8 million on ads calling Bankhead a Trump-friendly moderate and Bodnar a liberal, after Bankhead won the Democratic primary with 48,000 votes.
Attorneys warn that if Bankhead withdraws before Aug. 10, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen could force Democratic Party to name a replacement, a move Democrats say violates the First Amendment.

History

Historical Context

After the 1907 Tillman Act barred corporate campaign money, the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act required full reporting, and the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo ruling protected independent expenditures—later reinforced by Citizens United in 2010. Now Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen must decide on a replacement-candidate rule as independent Seth Bodnar and Democrat Alani Bankhead invoke the precedent, noting a 2023 PAC spend of $1.8 million.

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Story summary

Independent Seth Bodnar and Democrat Alani Bankhead remain on Montana’s Senate ballot as the Aug. 10 deadline approaches.
Republican PAC spent $1.8 million on ads calling Bankhead a Trump-friendly moderate and Bodnar a liberal, after Bankhead won the Democratic primary with 48,000 votes.
Attorneys warn that if Bankhead withdraws before Aug. 10, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen could force Democratic Party to name a replacement, a move Democrats say violates the First Amendment.

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