Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Thursday's State of Play show on MS NOW, host Peter Alexander devoted an entire segment to lobbying Montana Democratic Senate nominee Alani Bankhead to drop out to help liberal independent Seth Bodnar defeat Republican nominee Kurt Alme.
The segment comes as prominent Democrats in the state have abandoned their nominee because of her weaker polling and thrown their support behind Bodnar. Alexander set up the segment:
... and new polling shows left-leaning voters in the state are being pulled in two different directions -- split between the independent candidate, Seth Bodnar, and the democratic candidate, Alan Bankhead. Republican Kurt Alme has a comfortable double digit lead, according to most polls right now, but if you add the other two together, you see that one of those -- Bankhead or -- or Seth -- could win this race.
He then cited some calling the Democratic nominee a "Republican plant" even though she won her party's primary by 10 points:
And despite her chances looking slim, Bankhead has made it clear that she is not backing down even as Montana Democrats throw their support behind Seth Bodnar. Her refusal has caused some rift in the party -- some Democrats going so far as to call Bankhead a Republican plant only running to take votes away from the more popular independent.
After the MS NOW host brought aboard Bankhead as a guest, nearly every question was aimed at weakening her rationale for staying in the race. He began:
We showed the polling. It shows the Republican, Kurt Alme, with a solid lead, but if you put Bodner and your numbers together, that person would win. Right now, Bodner with about a 10-point advantage over you. What is your motivation to stay in this race right now?
His next two questions were aimed at getting her to admit that she would prefer Bodnar over Alme:
... you have much more in common with the independent candidate than you would with the Republican. Very quickly, if you weren't to win, would you prefer Bodnar be the Senate candidate, or would you prefer it be Alme?
(BANKHEAD)
But I guess I asked that question because, obviously, I know you say there's no other option, but if you lose, there must be another option because the voters will have picked somebody else. ... So I guess the question is ... do you have more aligned with Bodner's policies? ... if it became clear that you couldn't win, would you prefer that he represent the state than Kurt Alme?
After asking her to respond to criticism from former Montana Democratic party chair Shannon O'Brien, whom he interviewed on Tuesday, the MS NOW host then brought up the issue of Bankhead only living in the state for four years.
Finally, he concluded by asking her if she thinks Bodnar should be the one who drops out instead of her. He then noted that the independent candidate has been invited to also appear as a guest, but did not mention whether the Republican had been invited as well.
Transcript follows:
MS NOW's State of Play
October 15, 2026
11:36 a.m. Eastern
PETER ALEXANDER: President Trump at a midterm rally in Montana yesterday warned that if Democrats win the Senate seat there, it could spell trouble for the state. Here's part of what Trump said.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If the Democrat communists win, they will pack the Supreme Court with radical Marxists -- take away your guns -- they will guarantee to take over -- how would you like to live up here without guns?
ALEXANDER: It comes as early voting is under way in Montana, and new polling shows left-leaning voters in the state are being pulled in two different directions -- split between the independent candidate, Seth Bodnar, and the democratic candidate, Alan Bankhead. Republican Kurt Alme has a comfortable double digit lead, according to most polls right now, but if you add the other two together, you see that one of those -- Bankhead or -- or Seth -- could win this race.
And despite her chances looking slim, Bankhead has made it clear that she is not backing down even as Montana Democrats throw their support behind Seth Bodnar. Her refusal has caused some rift in the party -- some Democrats going so far as to call Bankhead a Republican plant only running to take votes away from the more popular independent.
And joining us now is the Democratic nominee, Alani Bankhead. Alani, I appreciate your being here. We showed the polling. It shows the Republican, Kurt Alme, with a solid lead, but if you put Bodner and your numbers together, that person would win. Right now, Bodner with about a 10-point advantage over you. What is your motivation to stay in this race right now?
ALANI BANKHEAD, MONTANA DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR SENATE: Well, Peter, I've got about 48,000 motivations because 48,000 Montanans don't think I'm a spoiler. In fact, I won my primary by over 10 points. So we're staying in it to fight for the people of Montana because this is about democracy and supporting people's right to choose their legislators.
ALEXANDER: So, understanding everyone should have the right to choose their legislators, obviously, you have much more in common with the independent candidate than you would with the Republican. Very quickly, if you weren't to win, would you prefer Bodnar be the Senate candidate, or would you prefer it be Alme?
BANKHEAD: Oh no. There's no other option other than I'm going to be winning this race, so we're in it to win it. I'm a military girl, you know. We work on the mission and getting that done, and that's what I've done my entire career.
ALEXANDER: But I guess I asked that question because, obviously, I know you say there's no other option, but if you lose, there must be another option because the voters will have picked somebody else. And the polls show they have two preferences to that right now. So I guess the question is, whether you view it as being a spoiler or not, do you have more aligned with Bodner's policies? And if you if it were -- if it became clear that you couldn't win, would you prefer that he represent the state than Kurt Alme?
BANKHEAD: I prefer that the people have the choice to choose whoever it is that they want to win. The reality is that these polls, since the primary, have primarily been paid for by the independent. So of course they're going to be favorable to the independent. The questions very clearly show that. But what this actually proves more than anything else is that, you know, they say that he's a better choice because he has millions of dollars, but we're essentially statistically tied if you look at every single other poll.
And so he has millions and isn't actually crushing anybody. The ultimate thing here that is happening is that Montanans aren't going to be told what to do, or they're not going to be manipulated either. So it's going to be up to the people to decide on November 3rd. And Montana has a rich history of kicking the billionaire class to the curb.
ALEXANDER: On Tuesday, we spoke to the state's former Democratic party chair -- you know her -- Shannon O'Brien. She stepped down to endorse one of your opponents, Seth Bodner, here. She's not the only one who has endorsed his campaign to this point. Max Baucus, obviously a famous Montanan, formerly served as ambassador to China. Jon Tester, the former senator, Steve Bullock, who ran for President there as well. Here's part of the concern that Shannon O'Brien expressed to us. Listen.
SHANNON O'BRIEN, EX-CHAIRPERSON OF THE MONTANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: I want somebody who's reaching out to folks in all over Montana, in rural areas, but I -- and, you know, sitting down at the kitchen table talking to school teachers, but also has the wherewithal to listen to the advice of the people who are trying to make it, you know, who've gone around this rodeo before.
ALEXANDER: Your -- your response to that, and what are you hearing from voters you're meeting around the state of Montana that makes you view it differently?
BANKHEAD: Sure. Well, Montana's been part of the Missoula consultant class decision last year to push the Senate Democratic nominee aside in favor of an independent. So she's been working against us since before I ever came into this race. I've been to more counties than any candidate in this race. I've been to 54 out of 56 counties in the fourth biggest state in the United States.
She's part of the old guard elite Democrats that think the brand is no good. But yet she and all those old guard elites are the ones who led the Montana Democrats into this toxic space that they're talking about. And the reality is that if you think the brand is no good, you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. You fix the brand, you take responsibility for your piss poor leadership. That's exactly what we're doing in partnership with the new Montana Democratic leadership and Emily Marburger and Bruce Knutson.
ALEXANDER: Let me ask you -- obviously, first, thank you for your service. You're a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. You are, though, new to Montana. I think you moved there as I read in 2002. There are a lot of concerns in states like the Big Sky Country -- 2022, excuse me. There are a lot of concerns in places like Big Sky Country right now about outsiders in a state that obviously prizes its rugged paradise there. What do you say to those Montanans who feel like someone who has only lived there for the last four years isn't best suited to represent their state and its interests?
BANKHEAD: Yeah, I completely get the complaint. It's basically the only complaint people have. And the reality is that I have served America my entire life. I'm an Army brat. I was active duty and I married active duty. So Montana is the first place in my life I got to pick where I wanted to live. And we chose Montana because we shared the values of community, family, freedom, common sense, and hard work.
And the reality is that I've worked all over the world with people of this type of branding, and folks just want common sense leadership. I have experience in D.C. in terms of being able to bring the right experts to the table and cutting through bureaucratic red tape. That's why I've been successful in hunting pedophiles and traffickers and terrorists and spies all over the world.
ALEXANDER: Sorry to interrupt. The last question is -- you say you're not the spoiler. Is Seth Bodnar the spoiler then -- or you call it spoiler -- are you calling on him to get out of this race?
BANKHEAD: Absolutely. I got 48,000 votes -- he got zero. He paid for his way onto the ballot. State law says that there will be a Republican and a Democrat on the ticket, so 10 Democrats could drop dead, and they'd still have to have a Dem on the ticket. And so, you know, we're going to trust the process. We're going to trust that the people of Montana are going to choose their legislator.
ALEXANDER: All right, Alani Bankhead, we appreciate you making time to share your perspective. We should note, we have reached out to the independent candidate, Seth Bodnar, about a potential interview as well.
