Montana Democrat Senate nominee Alani Bankhead has accused the Democratic National Committee of trying to force her out of the race immediately after she won the primary.
Bankhead claims the DNC offered her a staff position in exchange for quitting and endorsing independent candidate Seth Bodnar.
During an appearance on Montana PBS last week, Bankhead was asked whether anyone had offered her anything of value to drop out.
She answered: YES.
Bankhead said the DNC’s person who handles female veteran candidates, or something similar, floated the job offer.
“I was like, ‘Why would I go work for an organization that is actively working against me and stabbing me in the back?’” Bankhead said. “I can’t be bought, anyway. But that was the only thing that was put on the table.”
In a Washington Post op-ed earlier this month, Bankhead wrote that the DNC began pressing her to leave right after her primary victory because party leaders believed a Democrat could not win in Montana.
Bankhead said the plan was to get her to endorse Bodnar instead.
“I can’t be bought or bullied out of this race. But the back room tried,” she wrote.
Twenty-two Democratic state legislators signed a letter urging her to step down.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen responded to her allegation in a post on X.
“This is extremely concerning. If this is true, it appears to be a violation of Montana Code Annotated 13-35-221,” he added he will be investigating and reaching out to all parties involved.
This is extremely concerning. If this is true, it appears to be a violation of Montana Code Annotated 13-35-221. My office will be reaching out to @AlaniBankhead, @SethBodnarForMT and @DNC to investigate. https://t.co/5zo1KnMRyS
— Austin Knudsen (@MTAGKnudsen) October 21, 2026
Bankhead is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who served more than 21 years, including work as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, according to a profile on Military.com. Her record includes counterintelligence and counterterrorism operations, including against Al-Qaeda in Iraq, protective duty for a senior Pentagon official, and extensive work investigating child sex crimes and trafficking on multiple continents.
Bankhead has described herself as a third-generation military veteran.
Republican Kurt Alme is leading in most polls, but it remains a three-way race.
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