When He Swore an Oath, It Wasn’t to a Political Party. (w/ Seth Bodnar) | How to Fix It

Seth Bodnar's decision to run as an independent for the US Senate in Montana stems from his belief that both national parties are failing the country. He emphasizes his oath to the Constitution, not a party, and his experience leading with a focus on mission in the military and at the University of Montana. He sees a country becoming less prosperous, less secure, more divided, and more in debt, which he views as a 'moral failure' for future generations.

Bodnar's military service as a Green Beret and his tenure as University of Montana president shaped his mission-first approach, where political affiliation was irrelevant to achieving objectives. He cites a Pew Research survey showing the US dead last in citizens believing their countrymen are good and moral people as evidence of national division.

Bodnar argues that both Republican and Democratic parties have alienated and neglected rural America. He criticizes Republicans for taking rural voters for granted, exemplified by Senator Steve Daines's maneuvering to handpick a successor without a competitive primary. He faults Democrats for a stated public strategy, as articulated by Chuck Schumer, of prioritizing suburban voters over working-class rural voters, leading to a lack of effort in rural areas.

Bodnar points to Senator Daines's last-minute withdrawal from re-election filing to clear the path for an 'anointed successor' (00:06:30) and Chuck Schumer's public statement about losing working-class rural voters but gaining in suburbs (00:07:22) as examples of party neglect.

Bodnar plans to not caucus with either major party but instead work with other independent-minded senators to form an independent bloc. He believes that even two or three independent votes in a closely divided Senate would create significant leverage, allowing them to advance common-sense, bipartisan legislation and address critical national challenges.

He states, 'I don't intend to caucus with either party. My plan is to go and work with other independent-minded senators to form a independent block of voters in the US Senate.' He notes that 'one vote in the US Senate matters right now,' citing examples like a copper mine project or military appointments.

Bodnar outlines several policy areas he would prioritize, focusing on issues directly impacting Montanans and rural communities. These include dramatically expanding housing supply through sensible reforms and infrastructure investment, ensuring universal healthcare coverage while maintaining choice, allowing government negotiation for lower drug prices, and fiercely defending public lands and natural resources.

He specifically mentions incentivizing code reform and zoning changes for housing, preventing private equity from buying single-family homes (00:25:57), addressing the crisis in rural healthcare (00:27:00), and preventing projects like a Chilean billionaire's copper mine in Minnesota's Boundary Waters wilderness (00:28:07).

Drawing on his experience as a university president, Bodnar advocates for reinvesting in public education, broadening pathways to prosperity beyond traditional four-year degrees, and holding institutions accountable for job readiness and foundational skills. He emphasizes the need to fund short-term training programs to help people reskill or upskill for career changes.

He criticizes universities that 'brag about how many people we turned away' (00:33:35) and highlights the need for programs like 'Accelerate Montana' (00:35:45) which partner with businesses for short-term training, noting the lack of funding for such initiatives.

Bodnar expresses strong disapproval of the current administration's foreign policy, particularly regarding engagements in the Middle East, citing a lack of clear strategic objectives, exit strategies, and effective leadership. He condemns the 'glorification' of war and calls for Congress to reassert its constitutional role in declaring war and providing oversight.

He states, 'My generation of veterans. We saw decades of conflict in the Middle East without clear strategic objectives, without an exit strategy...' (00:37:40) and criticizes 'videos coming out from the Pentagon gifying war' (00:38:58), emphasizing that war should be a last resort.