The Democrats’ Riskiest Midterm Play
Democratic party leaders are attempting to convince Montana Senate nominee Alani Bankhead to withdraw from the race before the August 10 deadline. The party fears that Bankhead's presence on the ballot will split the non-Republican vote, effectively handing the seat to the GOP candidate.
Why it matters
This highlights the strategic challenges parties face when managing independent or problematic candidates in high-stakes midterm elections.
They have been backing independent Senate candidates in red states. But Montana is not working as planned.
William Campbell / Getty August 5, 2026, 12:01 PM ET Share Save The Democratic nominee for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat, Alani Bankhead, has been telling everyone for months that there is no price anyone can pay to keep her name from appearing on the November ballot. “Why is it you are asking me a question I have been asked a thousand times?” she told me on Monday, when I tried to probe her commitment to the race. “There is nothing that is going to force me from the ticket unless God himself tells me to drop out.”
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