Montana Democrats gathered in Helena over the weekend to rally ahead of the 2026 election.
The party has lost major ground statewide in the last decade. Newly-elected party chair Shannon O’Brien told attendees at the annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner that the party is focused on grassroot efforts to bring in new voters.
“If we know anything, we know that trust is what we need to rebuild. And we’re going to do it,” O'Brien said.
While Democrats have struggled in statewide races, the party gained 11 seats in the Legislature in 2024. This year, the party is fielding 118 candidates for 125 legislative seats – a vast improvement from the last midterms when Democrats left three dozen seats uncontested.
The party recently hired a new executive director, Emily Marburger, who says she brings experience clawing back political ground. Marburger comes to Montana from Pennsylvania, and said she helped flip the majority in the statehouse there from red to blue.
“Let’s unite, let’s organize and let’s win,” Marburger urged.
Unity may be a challenge in the U.S. Senate race. The Democratic primary for the seat is crowded with five candidates. In addition, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar is running for the office as an independent.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester voiced support for Bodnar's independent candidacy, and said the Democratic label was a poison to his past campaigns.
Bodnar has maintained that he’s running as an independent because he doesn’t subscribe to either party.
Bodnar did not attend the Mansfield Metcalf dinner, but did hold a campaign event in Helena shortly before the dinner.
