Buttigieg endorses independent in Montana Senate race with a Democrat still on the ballot
Pete Buttigieg just picked Seth Bodnar over the Democrat who actually filed for Montana’s Senate seat. That is a striking move for a former presidential candidate and cabinet secretary, and it tells you how nervous national Democrats are about holding the Senate. The party has been nudging voters toward Bodnar for a while, and Buttigieg’s name adds star power to that push.
I get the logic. Montana is a state where a Democrat with a D next to their name has a hard time, and Bodnar may run closer to the center. But there is something awkward about a national figure endorsing an independent over the party’s own nominee. It could energize anti-Republican voters, or it could leave the Democratic base confused and the nominee feeling abandoned. I’d want to know what Bodnar’s actual positions are and how the Democratic nominee is responding.
The race matters because control of the Senate may come down to a handful of seats. If Democrats think the independent has the better shot, they have every reason to try. But they should be honest about what they are asking voters to do.