Alani Bankhead says she's staying in the race for senate despite speculation she'd drop out

MISSOULA, Mont. — Alani Bankhead, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Montana, announced at the University of Montana on Monday that she would not be dropping out of the race.

Bankhead shared a vague press release over the weekend saying she had a very important announcement to make.

"I’m never dropping out, ever, ever, ever," Bankhead said. "It will be a cold day in hell, I don’t know how much clearer I say that. It’s never going to happen. We’re in this to win it."

She also used the media gathering as an opportunity to campaign against Seth Bodnar, seeking

Bankhead received a large infusion of cash in the primary from PACs which she also addressed.

“PAC money is out of our control,” Bankhead said.

Almost $4 million was spent in her favor.

Bankhead said she will continue to rail against PAC money but added it allowed her the opportunity to get name ID and that the cash would not have helped another Democrat in the race as her story was the most compelling.

UPDATE: 

A spokesperson for Seth for Montana has responded to the claims made by Bankhead at UM today. Bankhead made allegations that sexual discrimination claims were not treated seriously by Bodnar while at the helm of the University of Montana.

“At UM, Seth took all claims of discrimination seriously, and he is proud of his record of promoting women and building systems that recognize and elevate their contributions. No wrongdoing was ever found in this lawsuit, and the majority of plaintiffs made allegations about an existing culture at the University, including claims dating back more than a decade prior to Seth’s tenure as President.

There was a gender discrimination lawsuit against the university, not Bodnar personally.

“Seth made gender equity a priority from day one, and four years into his tenure at UM, 78% of all campus promotions went to women. When he arrived, UM had one female dean–by the time he left, seven of thirteen deans were women, and eight of the sixteen members of his executive team were women. When UM faced challenges, Seth made sure the university dealt with them head-on, and improved outcomes for all students and faculty. That is what he will do as an Independent voice for Montana in the United States Senate."

According to an article written by the student newspaper in 2024, the university settled the sex discrimination lawsuit for $350,000, and committed to Title IX review.

Bankhead also made calls for Bodnar to drop out, something Bodnar's team said won't happen.