Democrat veterans' organization endorses Montana independent Seth Bodnar for senate
UPDATE: A spokesperson for Bankhead responded with “no comment” to this and new reporting from Semafor that the DSCC will not support and Bankhead does not have a viable path to victory.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for Bankhead responded with “no comment” to this and new reporting from Semafor that the DSCC will not support and Bankhead does not have a viable path to victory.
WASHINGTON — Early Friday morning VoteVets endorsed independent Seth Bodnar in the Montana U.S. Senate Race. The organization usually endorses Democrats.
Both Bodnar and the Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead have served in the U.S. military.
"Seth Bodnar is best positioned to run and win in Montana,” VoteVets Senior Advisor General Paul Eaton said in a release. "Seth is a strong leader who has consistently put country first, from his time in education to his service as a Green Beret. Montana veterans deserve a voice in the U.S. Senate that they can count on."
Last cycle, VoteVets spent $50 million helping to elect their preferred candidates.
The endorsement came as state Democratic leaders increasingly called on Bodnar or Bankhead to drop out of the race to avoid splitting the vote. On Tuesday, former Montana Democratic party leader Carol Williams called on Bankhead to drop out.
Williams' letter characterized Bankhead as dishonest about her record and disrespectful to the working poor.
Bankhead responded to NonStop Local's request for comment on the letter but didn't address the contents.
"I have the utmost respect for the legacies of Pat and Carol Williams," Bankhead wrote in a text. "I have said everything on this topic that needs to be said. What is most important is honoring the democratic process and stopping the suffering of Montanans at the hands of the Epstein class."
Her team later sent links to her website with information about her previous service.
After the letter was shared with Montana Democrats, Bankhead and the state party posted an Instagram video of a Taylor Swift song called “The Man,” appearing to double down on her decision to stay in the race.
In mid-July Bankhead wrote a guest column in the Flathead Beacon where she called out the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for lack of support.
The DSCC hadn't made an endorsement in the race as of Thursday evening. The DSCC couldn't be reached for comment to confirm if this was still the case.
VoteVets' website says the organization is backed by nearly 2 million veterans, military family members and civilian supporters across the United States and is the largest progressive veterans' organization in the country.