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Jon Tester Backs Independent for Senate in Montana

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“University of Montana President Seth Bodnar is expected to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, part of an elaborate plan apparently backed by former Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in a move that has angered Democrats,” the Montana Free Press reports.

“Rumors of the move swirled through Democratic circles last week as it appeared that Tester intended not to support a Democratic challenger to two-term Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who played a heavy role in unseating Tester in 2024.”

Said Tester, in an apparent text: “Every race I ran as Montana Senator and U.S. Senator it was about distancing myself from the Democratic Party… During my last two races the Democratic Party was poison in my attempts to get re-elected.”

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goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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