Democrats launched a targeted harassment campaign to force their own Montana Senate nominee to drop out — and internal documents show they’re willing to pressure her family members to make it happen.
Alani Bankhead won the Democratic primary on June 2 with 43.7% of the vote, defeating four other candidates and securing the support of more than 48,000 voters.
Now the party wants those votes thrown out.
According to leaked documents shared by Washington Reporter editor-in-chief Matthew Foldi, Democrats orchestrated a pressure campaign to push Bankhead out by the August 10 ballot deadline in favor of “independent” candidate Seth Bodnar — who’s backed by Chuck Schumer and former Senator Jon Tester.
“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.”
The leaked strategy document, titled “Montana Senate Seat: How to Help,” urged activists with “relevant relationships” to target Bankhead directly and indirectly to “encourage” her exit before the deadline.
The document included a target list of people close to Bankhead who could be pressured — including family members, close friends, and current and former campaign staffers.
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.
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— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) August 9, 2026
The strategy even provided activists with pre-written social media posts and instructions to “alter slightly so as not to appear AI-generated.” Participants were reminded to tag Bankhead in their harassment posts.
Democrats framed the effort as “all hands on deck” after Bankhead ignored what the document called “gentler nudges.”
The goal: make the Montana Senate seat “more winnable” by replacing the Democratic primary winner with an “independent” candidate they believe has a better shot against Republican nominee Kurt Alme, a former U.S. Attorney backed by President Donald Trump.
This isn’t an isolated incident.
Just one week earlier, South Dakota Democratic Senate nominee Julian Beaudion withdrew from his race under a nearly identical pressure campaign. Left-wing activists pushed him out in favor of former Democrat-turned-independent Brian Bengs.
Beaudion cited “intimidating threats to drop out of this race” and a recent “devastating house fire” — the cause of which is still under investigation.
“The mental and physical safety of my family is my priority and for this reason alone, I step aside,” Beaudion said.
The Montana and South Dakota campaigns reveal a coordinated Democrat dark money operation willing to discard primary voters and harass candidates’ families to install preferred nominees.
NEW: I’ve obtained leaked documents from a dark money group showing how Democrats have an organized harassment campaign targeting Montana Democrat nominee @AlaniBankhead's family to get her out of the #MTSEN race.
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— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) August 9, 2026
Here are some of the messages that Democrats are being urged to post, with the caveat to "modify to not sound Al generated before posting anything" as they try to encourage @AlaniBankhead to drop out of the #MTSEN race at the last minute
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— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) August 9, 2026









