Viewpoint: Montana voters should choose candidates, not party insiders
Adam Hertz
In Montana, we take pride in our independence. We don’t trust D.C. politics or backroom deals. In our state, voters expect to make their own choices.
That’s why what happened during the recent U.S. Senate filing period should trouble anyone who believes in fair elections. In the final minutes before the filing deadline, Senator Steve Daines withdrew, clearing the field for the establishment’s handpicked replacement, Kurt Alme, and leaving no other serious candidate the opportunity to enter the race.
That is not how the Founders envisioned elections in our representative republic.
It’s worth noting this differs from how Congressman Ryan Zinke handled his decision not to seek reelection in Montana’s 1st Congressional District. Zinke never filed and announced he was not pursuing reelection with enough time for serious candidates to step forward.
Regardless of what one might think of Alme, the real issue is the process. In a representative republic, voters, not insiders, choose the candidates.
This maneuver is especially troubling in today’s political climate. Trust in institutions is dangerously low. Americans of all backgrounds increasingly question whether the system is fair, and when party leaders manipulate outcomes, it only deepens that distrust.
Republicans have long criticized Democrats when party insiders manipulate candidate selection, most notably when President Joe Biden withdrew, and party leaders quickly coalesced behind Vice President Kamala Harris without a competitive primary.
The same principle applies here. The rules should protect voters, not insiders. Montana has long rejected the idea that party establishments should pick our leaders. We value open debate, contested races, and letting voters decide.
The good news is this situation is easily fixed.
Some states have adopted what are commonly called anti-skullduggery laws. These laws require that if a candidate withdraws within a short window before or after the filing deadline, the filing period automatically reopens for several days, so other candidates have an opportunity to enter the race.
The principle is simple: elections should remain competitive, and voters should always have real choices on the ballot.
Montana’s election laws currently do not address last-minute maneuvers like the one we just witnessed. As a result, the rules unintentionally allow insiders to shape the field in ways that can shut voters out of the process.
The potential for manipulation comes in many forms. Montana’s current system could even allow a major party to clear the field for a preferred “independent,” rather than compete in a traditional party race.
Former U.S. Senator Jon Tester has publicly encouraged Seth Bodnar’s independent Senate run. Bodnar’s campaign says it raised about $550,000 in its first two days, much of it through Democratic fundraising networks. With a simple change to party bylaws, Democratic leaders could pressure their nominee to withdraw and clear the field for Bodnar to face Alme one-on-one, positioning a liberal candidate as an “independent” after Democrats’ recent statewide losses.
The broader issue is simple. Election rules should not allow either party to structure the race itself rather than compete openly before voters.
That’s why these rules should be fixed before this happens again.
Republicans should lead. Our party has long stood for transparency, accountability, and the principle that power belongs to the people. Competitive primaries aren’t something to fear. They strengthen candidates, sharpen ideas and give voters confidence in the process.
Montanans deserve election laws that encourage open competition, not tactics designed to avoid it. If we truly believe voters should choose their leaders, close the loophole and ensure party insiders can’t take that choice away again.