Montana Democratic Party chair Shannon O’Brien resigns and endorses independent candidate Seth Bodnar for an open U.S. Senate seat. O’Brien announces the decision in an op-ed on MS NOW, saying she cannot support her party’s nominee, Alani Bankhead.
The reports note that O’Brien steps down ahead of the November midterm elections and frames her departure around internal divisions within the Montana Democratic Party. The Washington Post describes the move as part of a broader pattern of state Democrats backing the independent instead of Bankhead, while the other outlets focus on O’Brien’s simultaneous resignation and endorsement. All accounts characterize Bankhead as a controversial or contested nominee, with O’Brien’s decision occurring weeks before voters go to the polls.
