<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Shannon O’Brien, the chairwoman of the Montana Democratic Party, announced her resignation on Monday while endorsing independent candidate Seth Bodnar over her party’s nominee in the state’s Senate race.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">O’Brien made the announcement in an MS Now op-ed, stating that she could not support Montana Democrat Alani Bankhead because she “does not have the momentum, resources or will to win this race.” O’Brien prefers Bodnar to challenge Republican nominee Kurt Alme in the upcoming election.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">O’Brien criticized Alme, stating he would act as a “puppet” for President Donald Trump and join Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) as another “automatic yes-man” for the Republican administration. She expressed doubts about Bankhead’s ability to defeat Alme, despite acknowledging that Bankhead would not align with Trump.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I’m a person with a positive outlook. I’m uncomfortable being negative about anyone, especially a Democratic nominee,” O’Brien wrote. “But sometimes it’s impossible to stay quiet; sometimes you have to make people uncomfortable for the greater good. The winner of this race will almost certainly vote on a nominee to the Supreme Court. And there are real questions about Democrat Alani Bankhead’s commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose, her support of working people and her views of people living in poverty.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In addition to her criticism of Bankhead’s views, O’Brien accused her of “mudslinging at Bodnar, a decent human being,” instead of focusing on the Republican candidate.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“In the months Bankhead has been the nominee and I’ve been chair of the party, she has not sought a conversation around shared values and has refused advice from experienced business and political leaders around the state,” O’Brien stated. “For someone almost brand new to Montana, her refusal to listen and learn is puzzling and jarring. Montanans are suffocating due to an affordability crisis, rising fuel prices and an inexplicable war. I want representation by people willing to listen, not those who dig in their heels and cover their ears.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">O’Brien described Bodnar as “someone who listens” and “is kind, hardworking and bright,” expressing confidence that he is the right choice for Montana.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“My job has always been to advance the values Democrats in this state care about,” the former chairwoman continued, “and right now, the clearest path to doing that runs through an independent candidate.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bodnar welcomed O’Brien’s endorsement, expressing his gratitude for her courage and service to Montana. He stated, “Montanans of every political stripe are coming together in this race because they know what’s at stake, and they’re ready to send an Independent senator to Washington who answers only to them.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bankhead responded by claiming that O’Brien has “been working against” her for several months. She stated, “This summer she got a legal opinion, without a vote of her own board, on whether the party could refuse to replace me if I quit, and her own board members wanted her performance reviewed for it. Now she’s using her exit to campaign for a man who never ran in our primary. Montana Democrats chose their nominee, and Montanans are voting right now.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bankhead made headlines in August when she refused to drop out of the three-way race to make room for Bodnar. According to the latest polling, Alme is likely to win, but the margin could have been closer if Bankhead had exited the race.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bodnar, endorsed by former Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and other Democrats, trailed Alme by 8 points in a Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton poll released last month, while Bankhead was 22 points behind Alme.</p>