Guest opinion: O’Brien put Montana’s future first with endorsement of Bodnar

The circular Montana Democratic Party firing squad began no sooner than the ink dried on the heartfelt decision by (now former) chair of the Montana Democratic Party Shannon O’Brien’s heartfelt decision to endorse independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar. Instead of thoughtfully assessing her reasons for endorsing Bodnar, they immediately turned to personal attacks that centered on the messenger instead of considering the serious message O’Brien was sending to the party.

As fellow former Montana Democratic Party chairs, we can’t stay silent while a stalwart leader in our party becomes the target of personal attacks for making a difficult, principled decision.

Shannon O’Brien’s decision to resign as chair of the Montana Democratic Party and endorse independent Seth Bodnar for U.S. Senate was not made lightly. It followed years of public service as a teacher, state senator, education policy adviser to Gov. Steve Bullock and dean of Missoula College. Whatever people think about her decision, she deserves the same respect afforded anyone who exercises her judgment and conscience.

Those attacking O’Brien can’t muster an argument against stopping another six years of representation that puts President Donald Trump’s agenda ahead of our state’s interests. Instead, they got personal. 

O’Brien is hardly alone in her assessment that Bodnar is the candidate who represents our values and can beat Kurt Alme. An extraordinary coalition of Democratic leaders from across Montana, spanning more than two decades of public service, has rallied behind Bodnar. They include former governors, members of Congress, legislators, every recent past executive director of the Montana Democratic Party and community advocates who have dedicated their lives to Democratic values. These are not people looking for something to gain. They want a senator who will protect public lands, defend reproductive freedom, stand up for working families and seniors, and hold the Trump administration accountable.

This is not the “old guard” or one generation clinging to the past. It is multiple generations of Montana Democrats coming together, alongside younger leaders and organizations like Forward Montana, because they believe the stakes are too high for party loyalty to outweigh the responsibility to win.

O’Brien was candid about her concerns regarding Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead’s ability to defeat Republican Alme, Trump’s handpicked successor. Bankhead’s own public statements about poverty and other issues have raised serious questions among Democrats about whether she shares the party’s fundamental values.

Those concerns deserve honest scrutiny. So does the extraordinary role Republican spending has played in this race. Nearly $2 million in GOP spending has helped prop up Bankhead’s campaign, raising legitimate questions about who benefits if Democrats remain divided while Alme advances.

O’Brien’s endorsement reflects a political calculation grounded in the realities of this race, not a rejection of the values that brought her to public service, and we join dozens of Democratic leaders who agree with her. We believe Bodnar offers the strongest opportunity to defeat Alme and send an independent voice to the Senate.

This moment calls for unity across generations, respect for principled disagreement and a willingness to put Montana and our country first.

Mary Sexton, Robyn Driscoll, Jim Larson and Nancy Anderson are past chairs of the Montana Democratic Party.