MISSOULA — A major point of Seth Bodnar's Wednesday announcement that he's running for the U.S. Senate is his political affiliation since he's running as an independent.
Lee Banville, a political analyst and director of the University of Montana School of Journalism, says independent candidates have historically faced an uphill battle in the polls.
He adds this is largely because of the increased polarization in the country as a whole, with most voters sticking to their political camps.
But with the change brought by the Trump administration, Banville says the opportunity for a successful run is not completely ruled out.
“Do we start to see outside organizations, not the parties, but like, independent political organizations, start to put money into this race. So that's always the best indicator that there's a sense that maybe there's something going on here. That these political organizations want to be involved in and so, you know, watching. Do the Republicans pour money into (incumbent) Steve Daines' campaign because they're worried? Do other organizations pour money into the Seth Bodnar campaign because they see an opportunity to kind of capitalize on people's frustration,” Banville said.
Bodnar, who recently resigned as University of Montana president, is seeking the seat held by Daines, a Republican seeking his third term.
