Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. Senate · Montana

4 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.¹

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Alani Bankhead — 31 issues

Farm payments and crop insurance
Expand price supports, crop insurance or emergency aid
Her campaign website says she would create new safety nets for family farmers and ranchers, such as FDIC-style crop insurance and low-interest loans, and pass the farm bill.⁹
Number of Supreme Court justices
Her campaign website says she would defend judicial independence and opposes court-packing.⁹
Voting Rights Act protections
Restore and widen protections by law, such as federal approval of voting changes in places with a history of discrimination (for example, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act)
Her campaign website says she would vote to restore the parts of the Voting Rights Act the Supreme Court struck down in 2013, as the John Lewis Act would.⁹
National Guard troops in cities
Don't use troops for local policing, and limit the president's power to send them
Her campaign website says the military should not be used to police American streets or enforce immigration law, and that she would defend the Posse Comitatus Act.⁹
Collective bargaining for public employees
Restore bargaining rights at the federal agencies the 2025 order excluded, as the House-passed Protect America's Workforce Act would
Her campaign website says she would pass the Protect America's Workforce Act to restore collective bargaining for the federal workers who lost it under a 2025 executive order.⁹
Federal minimum wage
Raise to $15 or more
Her campaign website says she would raise the federal minimum wage to at least $17 an hour by 2030, phased in and then tied to inflation.⁹
Books in school libraries
Her campaign website says she opposes book bans.⁹
US Department of Education
Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
Her campaign website says the Department of Education should be kept open.⁹
Proof of citizenship to register to vote
Her campaign website opposes the SAVE Act's proof-of-citizenship document requirement, saying more than 21 million voting-age citizens lack ready access to those documents.⁹
Clean energy tax credits
Restore the credits the 2025 law ended or cut back
Her campaign website says she would bring back the home solar, battery and EV-charging tax credits.⁹
Conservation and development on federal lands
Protect more land, such as with new national monuments or wilderness areas
Her campaign website says public lands should never be opened to exploitation, defends Montana's national monuments against efforts to shrink them, and supports keeping the 130,000 acres of new wilderness in the River Runs Through It Act.⁹
Child tax credit
Her campaign website says she would expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.⁹
Paid family and medical leave
Her campaign website says she backs federal investment in paid family and medical leave.⁹
Aid to Ukraine
Her campaign website says she would give Ukraine the weapons, intelligence and sanctions it needs and send frozen Russian assets held in the U.S. to Ukraine.⁹
Economic ties with China
Her campaign website says China should be treated as both an adversary and a partner, with rules against cheating enforced but no trade war.⁹
Foreign aid
Restore or increase foreign aid, including programs cut in 2025
Her campaign website says she would restore USAID and rebuild it with stronger fraud controls, and reauthorize the PEPFAR global AIDS program.⁹
Military aid to Israel
Reduce or end military aid to Israel
Her campaign website says she would end U.S. military assistance to Israel while the fighting in Gaza continues, and keep humanitarian aid reaching civilians.⁹
US role in NATO
Her campaign website says she would rebuild NATO and other U.S. alliances.⁹
Federal Medicaid funding
Her campaign website says she would fight Medicaid cuts, per-person caps and paperwork rules that strip coverage.⁹
Medical transition for minors
No legal limits; leave decisions to patients, parents and doctors
Her campaign website says medical decisions for children belong to the child, their parents and their doctors, and that she would protect access to gender-affirming care.⁹
Help for first-time homebuyers
Large federal grants or tax credits for down payments, such as up to $25,000
Her campaign website says she backs legislation to help people buy their first home, such as the Downpayment Toward Equity Act (up to $20,000) and the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act (up to $15,000).⁹
Homelessness
Provide permanent housing first, without requiring treatment or sobriety beforehand
Her campaign website says people should be placed in a stable home first so that work, treatment and recovery can follow, and that arresting someone for having nowhere to sleep does not house anyone.⁹
Immigration enforcement inside the country
Abolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agencies
Her campaign website says ICE should be shut down and replaced with whatever structure an independent review recommends.⁹
Passenger trains and Amtrak
Expand funding for passenger rail, including new high-speed lines
Her campaign website says she would bring passenger rail back across southern Montana on the North Coast Hiawatha route.⁹
Income tax on Social Security benefits
End income tax on Social Security benefits
Her campaign website says she would end the federal tax on Social Security benefits.⁹
Medicare dental, vision and hearing coverage
Add dental, vision and hearing coverage to traditional Medicare
Her campaign website says she would add dental, vision and hearing coverage to Medicare and require real coverage in private and marketplace plans.⁹
Social Security benefit levels
Her campaign website says she would protect Social Security from an automatic cut it says is coming in late 2032, with no benefit cuts and no privatization.⁹
Taxes on very large fortunes
Her campaign website calls for making a wealth tax stick by funding IRS audits of the wealthiest, requiring independent valuations of hard-to-value assets and closing the exit for people who give up citizenship to avoid it.⁹
High-speed internet access
Her campaign website says she would fund rural broadband.⁹
Who has authority on tribal lands
Expand tribal governments' authority, including over crimes by non-Native people on tribal lands
Her campaign website says tribes should regain authority over every crime committed on tribal land, by anyone, and that limits on tribal court sentences should be lifted.⁹
Veterans' disability and survivor benefits
Expand benefits for some groups, such as combat-injured retirees with under 20 years of service and surviving spouses who remarry
Her campaign website says she would pass the Major Richard Star Act so combat-injured veterans medically retired before 20 years no longer have retirement pay offset by VA disability pay.⁹

Seth Bodnar — 11 issues

Drawing district lines (redistricting)
His campaign website says he supports ending partisan gerrymandering nationwide.¹⁰
Voter ID
His campaign website says he supports Montana's existing voter ID law and the state's constitutional authority to run its own elections.¹⁰
Wildfire prevention and forest management
His campaign website says he supports active forest management near communities, predictable multi-year funding for wildfire fuels work, grazing as a wildfire tool on federal land and reversing cuts to the agencies that manage forests.¹⁰
ACA premium tax credits
His campaign website says he would restore the enhanced ACA subsidies that expired.¹⁰
Zoning and new housing
His campaign website says he supports cutting red tape that slows new housing and zoning and code reforms that expand supply.¹⁰
Border wall and barriers
His campaign website says he supports real operational control of the border, with technology, personnel and infrastructure that work, and equal attention to the northern border.¹⁰
Medicare payments to doctors
His campaign website says he would protect Medicare payment rates so seniors in small towns do not lose their local doctors.¹⁰
Social Security retirement age
Keep it at 67
His campaign website says he will oppose any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits, including raising the eligibility age.¹⁰
Federal spending levels
His campaign website says every spending decision should meet a real cost-benefit standard and that he will oppose reckless deficit spending from either party.¹⁰
Data privacy
His campaign website says every Montanan should have the right to know what data is collected about them and the right to say no.¹⁰
Private care for veterans
His campaign website says he would expand the VA's Community Care Network so rural veterans can see local providers, and invest in mobile VA clinics and telehealth.¹⁰

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.

All 2026 races in Montana

Fact	Kurt Alme	Kyle Austin	Alani Bankhead	Seth Bodnar
Party on the ballot	REP¹	LIB¹	DEM¹	IND¹
Status	Open seat	Open seat	Open seat	Open seat
Raised	$3,013,681 through October 14, 2026²	$261,825 through October 14, 2026³	$190,540 through October 14, 2026⁴	$4,918,341 through October 14, 2026⁵
Cash on hand	$602,738²	$2,684³	$22,820⁴	$580,921⁵
Outside spending	$3,358,157 for · $1,044,534 against⁶	Not found in the public sources we checked	$3,249,928 for · $361,994 against⁷	$10,690,746 for · $2,020,986 against⁸
Birth control and IVF	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she backs the Right to Contraception Act and funding for access to all reproductive health care.⁹	His campaign website says he would protect access to contraception and IVF.¹⁰
Who sets abortion law	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade Her campaign website says she backs the Women's Health Protection Act to protect abortion access nationwide and a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, and opposes any federal abortion ban.⁹	A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade His campaign website says he supports writing Roe v. Wade into federal law.¹⁰
Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Pass broad protections such as the Equality Act Her campaign website says she would champion the Equality Act.⁹	His campaign website says he will oppose discrimination against LGBTQ+ Montanans in employment, housing and public life.¹⁰
Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Pass a law setting a binding ethics code, with outside review of complaints and recusal decisions Her campaign website says she would enact a binding, enforceable Supreme Court ethics code with real gift disclosure and recusal rules.⁹	His campaign website says he supports a binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court comparable to the standard for lower federal courts.¹⁰
Supreme Court term limits	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Set fixed terms, such as 18 years Her campaign website says she supports 18-year term limits and age limits for Supreme Court justices, through a constitutional amendment if needed.⁹	Set fixed terms, such as 18 years His campaign website says he supports term limits for Supreme Court justices.¹⁰
Tariffs	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Targeted tariffs on some countries or goods Her campaign website says tariffs should target genuine cheating, dumping, illegal subsidies and intellectual-property theft, not serve as a blanket tax on everyday goods.⁹	Targeted tariffs on some countries or goods His campaign website says he supports targeted tariffs against countries that cheat on trade, opposes blanket tariffs on allies such as Canada and tariffs on potash, fertilizer, lumber and steel, and wants relief for producers who absorb tariff costs.¹⁰
Trade agreements	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says trade deals should include strong, enforceable protections for workers and the environment.⁹	His campaign website says he favors durable, enforceable trade agreements over open-ended tariff uncertainty.¹⁰
Union fees and right-to-work laws	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Leave it to each state Her campaign website says she would block a national right-to-work law, saying Montana chose not to be a right-to-work state and Congress should not override that choice.⁹	His campaign website says he will oppose right-to-work legislation.¹⁰
Union organizing rules	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Make it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act) Her campaign website says she would pass the PRO Act and protect workers' right to organize and bargain.⁹	His campaign website says he supports workers' right to organize and the National Labor Relations Board's ability to protect it.¹⁰
Who sets tariffs	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says Congress should have to vote before any across-the-board tariff takes effect.⁹	His campaign website says Congress should reassert its constitutional authority over tariffs.¹⁰
Vouchers and education savings accounts	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	No public money for private school or homeschooling costs Her campaign website says she opposes federal voucher and tax-credit programs that send public money to private schools.⁹	No public money for private school or homeschooling costs His campaign website says he will oppose school vouchers that send public tax dollars to private schools.¹⁰
Campaign finance rules	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United Her campaign website says she backs the DISCLOSE Act to reveal who funds dark money, overturning Citizens United, and small-dollar public financing of campaigns with real-time disclosure.⁹	Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United His campaign website says he supports overturning Citizens United and stronger disclosure of dark money spending in elections.¹⁰
Stock trading by members of Congress	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Ban members and their spouses and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks Her campaign website says she backs the End Congressional Stock Trading Act to ban members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from trading individual stocks.⁹	Ban members and their spouses and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks His campaign website says he would ban stock trading and stock ownership by members of Congress and extend the ban to spouses and immediate family members.¹⁰
Term limits for Congress	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she supports term limits for members of Congress.⁹	His campaign website says he supports term limits for members of Congress.¹⁰
Data centers and electricity costs	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says large data centers should pay their own power and grid costs and get no tax breaks, should be built only after honest studies and with community approval, and should never be built on public lands.⁹	His campaign website says he would pass the Ratepayer Protection Act to bar utilities from passing data center energy costs on to households, require public disclosure of a project's water and energy use before permits, and let communities reject projects.¹⁰
Selling or transferring federal lands	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Keep federal lands in federal ownership Her campaign website says public lands should never be sold and that she backs the Public Lands in Public Hands Act to bar their sale or transfer without an act of Congress.⁹	Keep federal lands in federal ownership His campaign website says he will oppose any sale or transfer of public land.¹⁰
Same-sex marriage	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Keep same-sex marriage legal in every state Her campaign website says she would defend the Respect for Marriage Act.⁹	Keep same-sex marriage legal in every state His campaign website says he would defend the right to marry the person you love and oppose any effort to roll it back.¹⁰
Iran's nuclear program and sanctions	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Negotiate a deal that eases some sanctions in exchange for verified limits on Iran's nuclear program Her campaign website opposes the war with Iran and says a nuclear-armed Iran should be prevented through diplomacy and a verifiable agreement with strict inspections.⁹	His campaign website opposes the war with Iran and any further escalation without a vote of Congress, and supports diplomacy to de-escalate and end the conflict.¹⁰
Who decides on military action	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says Congress should vote before the United States strikes, the War Powers Resolution should be enforced with notice to Congress within 48 hours and withdrawal within 60 to 90 days without authorization, and the 2001 war authorization should be repealed and replaced.⁹	Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack His campaign website says Congress must use its authority to declare war before troops are committed to combat, and supports a War Powers Resolution vote on the conflict with Iran.¹⁰
AR-15-style rifles	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website opposes bans on the semi-automatic firearms Montanans lawfully own, and says she is still listening on questions such as magazine limits before taking a position.⁹	No bans or added limits on these rifles His campaign website opposes a federal assault weapons ban and says existing laws should be enforced instead of adding new mandates.¹⁰
Background checks for gun sales	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Require checks for all gun sales, including private sales (with exceptions such as gifts between family members) Her campaign website says she supports universal background checks.⁹	Keep current law, with checks required only for sales by licensed dealers His campaign website opposes a new universal background check mandate and says the laws already on the books should be enforced instead of adding new mandates.¹⁰
Red flag laws	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Adopt more red flag laws, including a national one Her campaign website says she backs red-flag laws with due-process safeguards, such as petitions only from police or close family, a judge's review of evidence and a full hearing within days.⁹	His campaign website opposes a federal red-flag law.¹⁰
Health insurance system	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she supports universal health coverage modeled on TRICARE, the military health program in which public dollars pay for care from private doctors, and says it would not be a government takeover of care.⁹	His campaign website says every American should have an affordable coverage option without losing choice or competition.¹⁰
Medicaid expansion	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she would defend Montana's Medicaid expansion, which it says covers about 74,000 Montanans and helps keep rural hospitals open.⁹	His campaign website says he would defend Medicaid expansion.¹⁰
Medicaid work requirements	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	No work requirement to keep coverage Her campaign website says she would delay and repeal the federal Medicaid work-reporting rules, which it says could cost tens of thousands of working Montanans their coverage.⁹	No work requirement to keep coverage His campaign website says he would reverse the Medicaid work-requirement rules, which it says could take coverage from about 30,000 Montanans.¹⁰
Large investors buying single-family homes	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she backs the HOPE for Homeownership Act, which would tax and fine hedge funds that buy single-family homes, without affecting owners of a few rentals.⁹	His campaign website says he would stop private equity firms from buying up single-family homes at scale.¹⁰
Medicare Advantage	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Tighten rules on what these plans are paid and when they can require approval for care Her campaign website says she would rein in claim denials in Medicare Advantage and set deadlines and other limits on prior authorization.⁹	Tighten rules on what these plans are paid and when they can require approval for care His campaign website says he would crack down on misleading Medicare Advantage ads and prior-authorization delays.¹⁰
Medicare drug price negotiation	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she will defend Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices, along with the $35 insulin cap and the yearly out-of-pocket cap in Medicare drug coverage.⁹	Expand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance His campaign website says he would expand Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices and cap insulin and other lifesaving drugs at $35 a month for every Montanan, not just people on Medicare.¹⁰
Social Security payroll tax cap	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Apply the tax to all earnings Her campaign website says she would remove the cap on wages subject to the Social Security tax so the wealthiest pay in on all their income.⁹	His campaign website says he would strengthen Social Security's long-term finances through fairer contributions from the highest earners.¹⁰
Preventing government shutdowns	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says members of Congress should have their pay held in escrow whenever Congress fails to pass its budget and spending bills on time.⁹	His campaign website says congressional pay should be suspended, and the Senate kept in session, whenever the government is shut down.¹⁰
Rules for artificial intelligence	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Her campaign website says she wants AI rules that reduce catastrophic risk and protect civil liberties, privacy and workers, would hold AI companies legally responsible for harm to children, and would bar an algorithm from being the sole reason an insurer denies care.⁹	Require government testing or licenses for the most powerful AI systems before they are released His campaign website says major AI models should get mandatory, independent safety reviews before they are released to the public, and that someone should be held accountable when AI causes harm.¹⁰
VA staffing	Not found in the public sources we checked	Not found in the public sources we checked	Hire more VA staff, including to replace jobs lost in 2025 Her campaign website says she would reverse VA staffing cuts and rehire frontline clinical and claims staff.⁹	Hire more VA staff, including to replace jobs lost in 2025 His campaign website says he would reverse VA staffing cuts and push for faster hiring authority.¹⁰