Meet the Montana U.S. Senate Candidates

The MSU Exponent made every effort to contact candidates running for the U.S. House seat and the Montana House and Senate seats representing Bozeman and Belgrade. All candidates were provided with the same questions, the same instructions and the same word limit for their responses. The Exponent did not edit any of the responses for grammar or clarity. The Exponent does not endorse or oppose any candidate through the publication of these questionnaires. The questionnaires are intended to inform voters and help them make informed decisions.

Alani Bankhead

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

Alani Bankhead is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and federal agent. Over two decades she hunted terrorists and spies, and led the largest anti-child-exploitation cyber operations in the Pacific. She stands up for the people, and pushes back against the powerful. Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Montana.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

Bringing down the cost of a normal life. A Montana paycheck should buy a Montana life, and right now it does not. The typical home here costs 66 percent more than it did in 2020 while

incomes rose 26 percent, and Montanans pay the sixth-highest grocery bills in the country. I would make it financially painful for hedge funds buying up Montana homes as investment portfolios, cut the tariffs driving prices up, and take on the corporate middlemen inflating them. Four companies control about 85 percent of beef packing in this country. That is not a market, it is a chokehold, and you pay for it at the register.

A government that answers to Montanans, not donors. I take zero corporate PAC money. I back the DISCLOSE Act, overturning Citizens United, and a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks. Here at home I endorse I-194, the Montana Plan, to end dark money in our state elections. I spent a career following money and building cases against people who abused a position of trust. I am not going to stop now.

Health care you can actually use. One in three Montana rural hospitals is at risk of closing. I would guarantee universal coverage built on TRICARE, the military's own program that already works, paid for by cutting administrative waste rather than care. Montana's suicide rate has ranked among the five highest in the nation for three decades, and 51 of our 56 counties are federally designated mental-health shortage areas. I would fund 988 and community behavioral health clinics so help exists in the county you actually live in.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

Because the things making your life expensive are decisions somebody made, and decisions can be unmade. You are starting adult life in a state where housing has outrun wages by forty points, where child care covers less than half of what families need and 59 percent of counties are child-care deserts, and where the mental-health provider you need is often two hours away or does not exist. None of that is weather. It is policy.

I am not a career politician. I spent twenty-one years in the Air Force and years as a federal agent going after terrorists, spies and people who hurt children. That work taught me to follow evidence rather than talking points, and to be accountable for outcomes, because I never got to hide from mine. I take no corporate PAC money, so you can check whose interests I am actually serving. Please do.

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

Democratic

Kurt Alme

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

I’m a native Montanan with deep roots across our state. I was born in Great Falls, and lived in Dillon, Victor, Helena, and Miles City — and now Billings. I’ve spent my entire career serving and protecting Montana families as Director of Revenue, Budget Director, and U.S. Attorney.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

As I travel the state, Montanans tell me the same three things: we need to make life more affordable, make our communities safer, and protect our Montana way of life. Those will be my top priorities as senator.

First, I’ll work to make life more affordable. Washington’s reckless spending has driven up the cost of everything — from gas and groceries to rent and housing. I’ll fight to rein in spending to lower inflation and interest on student loans, keep taxes low, and help Montanans keep more of their hard-earned money. I’ll also work to cut red tape so we can build more housing and lower rents, especially in growing communities like Bozeman. As Montana’s former Director of Revenue and Budget Director, I spearheaded two of the largest tax cuts in state history, balanced our state budget, and helped make Montana debt-free. I’ll bring my record to Washington.

Second, I’ll make our communities safer. As U.S. Attorney last year, I increased prosecutions to a 20-year high and helped drive down violent crime. I went after violent criminals and drug trafficking gangs all the way up to the cartels. My tough-on-crime record is why I have been endorsed by 35 Montana sheriffs.

Finally, I’ll protect our Montana way of life by supporting commonsense policies that put Montana first. I’ll fight to protect our public lands, keep boys out of girls’ sports, secure our borders and elections, support our veterans, and defend our Second Amendment rights.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you? 

I believe the best days of America and Montana are ahead of us.

I’m running because Montana is my home. Sandra and I have had a great life here and we want our kids and grandkids — and students at MSU — to have a chance for an even better life, with the same freedoms and even better opportunities that we had.

I’m the only candidate in this race with deep Montana roots and a proven record of cutting taxes, balancing our state budget, and locking up violent criminals. I’ll fight for policies that help more Montanans afford their rent and a home, build a good-paying career, and raise a family.

I’ve spent my entire career serving and protecting Montana families. I’m ready to step up and serve again to make life more affordable, make our communities safer, and protect our Montana way of life. I’d be honored to have your vote. 

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

Republican

Seth Bodnar

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

I am a Green Beret, business leader, and former president of the University of Montana. I was raised by two public school teachers, graduated first in my class at West Point, and served in Iraq. My wife, Chelsea, is a fifth-generation Montanan and pediatrician, and we’re raising our three children here.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

My first priority is lowering costs. Montanans are working harder than ever and falling further behind, and young people feel this most. I’ll fight to cut the red tape blocking new housing and stop private equity firms from buying up starter homes. I’ll restore the health care tax credits that expired and caused premiums to spike nearly 30 percent. And I’ll work to end the war in Iran and the reckless trade wars driving up prices on everything from gas to groceries.

My second priority is ending the corruption driving those costs up. Our broken political system has been captured by party bosses and corporate donors, and both parties are complicit. I’ll fight to ban stock trading by members of Congress, overturn Citizens United, and get dark money out of our elections. I’ll also push for real guardrails on AI and data centers, so Montanans, not Big Tech, have the final say over what’s built in their communities.

My third priority is investing in the next generation. Roughly 60 percent of native-born Montanans with a college degree now live outside the state, and that must change. I’ll protect Pell Grants, invest in research at universities like MSU, expand apprenticeships and the trades, and fight for the good-paying jobs that let young people build their futures right here at home.

As an Independent, I’m not beholden to either party, and I’ll answer only to Montanans.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

I spent eight years leading one of Montana’s two flagship research universities, and I know how much our campuses do for this state. Universities like MSU drive research, create jobs, and give young Montanans a reason to stay. In the Senate, I’ll fight for research funding, protect Pell Grants and student loan programs, and work to make housing affordable for students, faculty, and staff alike.

Your generation will live with the decisions Washington makes today, on housing, climate, AI, and a national debt that’s now passed $40 trillion. You deserve a senator who looks out for your future, not the next election.

I’m running as an Independent because I swore an oath to the Constitution, not a political party. I’ll defend your freedoms, including the right to make your own health care decisions, protect our public lands, and answer only to you.

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

I’m running as an Independent, and I am not affiliated with any political party.

Kyle Austin

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

As a Montana pharmacist and founder of Pharm406 in Billings. Raised near Havre on a farm, I earned my Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Montana in 2008. My background combines farming, entrepreneurship, and providing pharmacy services to Montana communities.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

My platforms address healthcare reform, agricultural investment, and affordability. My proposed Healthcare 2.0 plan calls for restructuring the healthcare system to reduce waste, corruption, and limit government involvement.  The plan would offer individuals, and small businesses lower monthly premiums and no annual deductibles while improving reimbursements for healthcare providers, without additional taxpayer costs. On agriculture, supporting overhauling USDA programs, providing 0% financing for agricultural producers, improving railways and highways, and expanding domestic fertilizer production.  My broader affordability positions include reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses and opposing tariffs, which he describes as taxes passed on to consumers. Across these issues, I strongly emphasize reducing government intervention and business costs as my approach to making healthcare, agricultural operations, and everyday living more affordable.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

MSU students should vote for me because I am the youngest candidate in this race and am not affiliated with a major corrupt party.  The two-party system is never getting anything done and it is time for a leader, not a politician who will represent ALL Montanans.  I am tired of the hand-picked candidates who buy our elections and make empty promises that never see results. MSU Students need to vote for the future and pave the way for the future we all want.

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

My political affiliation is a fiscal conservative.