Inside Dem Dark Money Campaign To Harass Their Own Female Nominee Until She Quits

Democrats in Montana have embarked on a desperate campaign to force their own U.S. Senate nominee to quit the race, and they’re willing to harass members of her family to make that happen.

According to Washington Reporter editor-in-chief Matthew Foldi, Democrats have become increasingly aware that independent candidate Seth Bodnar would stand a much better chance against the Republican nominee, Kurt Alme, a former U.S. Attorney backed by President Donald Trump. The only person standing in the way is Alani Bankhead — who won the Democratic Party’s five-way primary on June 2 with 43.7% of the vote — and the party appears ready and willing to throw out more than 48,000 votes to force a more favorable general election matchup.

The goal of the “project,” according to a series of screenshots Foldi shared, was to make the Montana Senate seat — and thus potential control of the upper chamber — “more winnable” by convincing Bankhead to drop out of the race. A call to arms sent out to activist groups around the state suggested that it was an “all hands on deck” situation because Bankhead, who had not responded to “gentler nudges,” had to drop out by August 10 in order to be taken off the ballot.

“Democrats want to push @AlaniBankhead out of the race in favor of ‘independent’ candidate Seth Bodnar, who is backed by Chuck Schumer and former senator Jon Tester. These documents offer an inside look at how Democrats’ dark money apparatus will use any means, including intimidation to secure their preferred nominee,” Foldi posted, following that with a screenshot of a document titled, “Montana Senate Seat: How to Help.”

The document is titled: Montana Senate Seat: How to Help. It urges Democrats “who have relevant relationships” to urge Bankhead to drop out of the race.

(3/xx) pic.twitter.com/St1x4C0ng7

— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) August 9, 2026

Anyone with “relevant relationships” — meaning those who might have the ability to put pressure on Bankhead either directly or indirectly — was encouraged to use them to “encourage” Bankhead to exit the race ahead of the August 10 deadline. The document even included a list of people close to the candidate who could be targeted by their pressure campaign. The list included several family members, close friends, as well as current and former campaign staffers.

The document also contained helpful tips for those inclined to participate, from reminders to tag Bankhead in their posts to pre-written drafts that they were urged to alter slightly so as not to appear AI-generated.

Just one week prior, up against a nearly identical deadline, South Dakota Democratic Senate nominee Julian Beaudion withdrew from the race, citing a similar pressure campaign orchestrated by left-wing activists who pushed him out in favor of former Democrat-turned-independent Brian Bengs.

Beaudion explained just after he exited the race that he’d done so in light of a recent “devastating house fire” — the cause of which is still under investigation — and “intimidating threats to drop out of this race.”

“The mental and physical safety of my family is my priority and for this reason alone, I step aside,” he said.