Standing in front of the fireplace at the Montana Taphouse in Whitefish, independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar regaled patrons with the story of the first operation he commanded as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

It was a cold, dark desert night, he said, and his troops were lined along the wall of a suspected terrorist safehouse in Mosul, Iraq, waiting for the signal to kick down the door and enter.  

Fast forward 23 years and the former University of Montana president said he is now focused on a different doorway. 

"We've got seven days," Bodnar told a crowd of several dozen people gathered in the barroom. "Seven days. We're stacked on a wall outside a door. Behind that door is a very high value target, nothing less than the future of this country itself." 

The Oct. 27 event marked the beginning of a last blitz of campaign stops that will have Bodnar traveling to most of the state's major population centers ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Like many political candidates, Bodnar has simplified his message in the final election countdown, largely eschewing talk of specific policy issues in favor of a spartan prerogative to get out and vote. 

"More people voting is good," Bodnar said. "We need more participation in this democratic republic." 

But high voter turnout may not be enough to deliver Bodnar a win in next week's elections. Most polls have cast the former University of Montana president as the underdog to Republican candidate Kurt Alme. Bodnar also shares ideological overlaps with Democratic candidate Alani Bankhead, which could split the moderate and left-leaning vote, thereby minimizing any possibility of a non-GOP win. Libertarian candidate Kyle Austin fills out the four-way race. 

Despite less-than-stellar polling predictions, Bodnar remained positive in his own outlook for the race, noting that independent electors remain the largest voting bloc in the state. Bodnar is banking on this group of what he called "politically homeless" voters to deliver him through the general election. 

"This campaign's never been about partisan labels," he said. "This campaign's never been about party identity. This campaign has always been about the shared beliefs that unite us as Montanans and as Americans." 

Bodnar gave the barest of mentions to his own political beliefs at the Oct. 27 event. He spent a few seconds lambasting data centers and the war in Iran and said the government should not be involved in women's reproductive health decisions. 

Alme is also campaigning across the state this week, travelling to Fort Benton, Chester and Havre. On Monday he was in Belgrade with Vice President JD Vance for a campaign event. 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.