SCOOP: Seth Bodnar’s Montana senate struggles may open the door for Democrat Alani Bankhead’s campaign
As Montana’s U.S. Senate race enters the summer, two connected political operatives believe Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead momentum is raising the possibility that national Democratic donors could jump into the race to support her, according to two political sources familiar with the contest.
The sources stressed that they are not aware of any final decisions by outside groups or major donors to invest in the race. Instead, they said recent poor polling and political conversations have fueled a growing belief that Bankhead, rather than independent candidate Seth Bodnar, may have the stronger path to mounting a competitive challenge against Republican nominee Kurt Alme.
“There’s a growing sense that Alani is in a better position than people expected a few months ago,” one political source who is connected to Senate politics told the Washington Reporter. “If that continues, major donors will start paying more attention.”
Bankhead, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former federal special agent, secured the Democratic nomination on June 2 and had been viewed as the underdog in the three-way race.
That perception has shifted in political circles as Bodnar has struggled to gain traction. Recent polling has placed him behind both Alme and Bankhead, prompting renewed questions about whether his campaign can emerge as the principal alternative to the Republican nominee.
A second Senate political source with Montana ties said some Democratic operatives increasingly believe Bankhead has become the party’s strongest candidate in the race.
“People are seeing a path for her because of Bodnar’s underperformance,” the source said. “If you talk to folks on the ground in Montana, they are starting to feel Bankhead is a superior candidate to Bodnar.”
The sources said that it is too early to know for sure whether Bankhead’s improving political position will result in additional financial support from national Democratic donors or outside groups. But they said her recent trajectory has prompted more discussion about the race than was occurring earlier this year.
Even if no additional money materializes, the conversations reflect a growing belief among some political observers that Montana’s Democratic nominee is in a stronger position than many expected at the start of the general election campaign.
