Buttigieg endorses independent in Montana Senate race with a Democrat still on the ballot

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg endorsed independent Seth Bodnar on Friday over the Democratic nominee in Montana’s Senate race.

Buttigieg’s endorsement of Bodnar, first reported by ABC News , is the latest in a string of Democratic efforts to swing the race toward the independent candidate, who some believe has a better chance to beat Republican Kurt Alme. Democrat Alani Bankhead has received numerous calls to drop out of the race in order to clear the field for Bodnar but has refused .

“The best leaders I’ve served with, in uniform and in government, care more about getting the job done than about who gets the credit, and Seth is one of them,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

The potential 2028 presidential candidate acknowledged that he and Bodnar do not agree on everything but said the independent has spent his life serving the country, which Buttigieg said Bodnar would continue to do in the Senate.

Although it is notable for a national Democrat to endorse against the party’s nominee, Bodnar has received a swath of Democratic support, including from former Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). Shannon O’Brien, chair of the Montana Democratic Party, resigned from her position earlier this month and endorsed Bodnar.

“Montana deserves a senator who will fight corruption in Washington, defend reproductive freedom, and work across the aisle to lower costs and actually get things done. Seth Bodnar will be that Senator,” Buttigieg wrote.

Bankhead has said she will not drop out of the race, and even if she did, Montana law would require the party to put forth a new nominee. Democrats deciding to back independent candidates has become a trend in this year’s midterm races, with many Democrats in Nebraska, South Dakota and Idaho supporting a candidate outside the two-party system.

Bodnar told ABC News that he was honored to have Buttigieg’s endorsement and proud that people “across the political spectrum” were joining his campaign.

Montana’s Senate race is deemed “likely Republican” by election handicapper Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). DDHQ’s polling average shows Alme ahead with 41.9 percent support, Bodnar with 29.4 percent and Bankhead with 17.1 percent as of Friday morning.