Former Montana University President Wages Independent Senate Bid

March 4, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC

Seth Bodnar, the former president of the University of Montana, announced on Wednesday an independent Senate campaign to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Daines in the Big Sky state.

“This country is in crisis, and our national political parties are failing us,” Bodnar, a West Point graduate and former Army Green Beret, said in a campaign video. “Montanans are an independent people, and they deserve an independent voice fighting for them in Washington, D.C.”

Bodnar attacked rising costs and tariffs and “D.C. politicians like Steve Daines” and didn’t mention President Donald Trump.

Montana usually ...

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