Pete Buttigieg endorses independent Seth Bodnar in Montana Senate race

Former United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has endorsed independent candidate Seth Bodnar in the Montana Senate race, the Washington Examiner reported on October 23. Buttigieg bypassed the official Democratic nominee less than two weeks before the election. ABC News first reported the endorsement, in which Buttigieg praised the military and public service record of Bodnar, saying he would bring a bipartisan approach to the Senate. [1]

Bodnar served as the president of the University of Montana from 2018 through 2026 before launching his Senate campaign, according to the Washington Examiner. He is competing in the race against Republican candidate Kurt Alme and Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead, an Air Force officer. Republican incumbent Steve Daines is not seeking a third term in the election scheduled for November 3. [1][5]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, former Montana Democratic Party chairwoman Shannon O'Brien also resigned her post to endorse Bodnar over Bankhead in an opinion piece published by MS Now. Buttigieg, a member of the Democratic Party who served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020 and as transportation secretary from 2021 to 2025, is rumored to be considering a presidential campaign in 2028, according to the Washington Examiner. [1][4][9]