I am a lifelong Montana Democrat who has proudly run and served under that label. I ran for state party chair to unify Democrats, believing if we work together, we can make Montana a better place. But there are things more important than labels or party politics. And right now, the Montana Democratic Party is more divided than ever not because of our values but because of the race for the U.S. Senate.

One thing I hope we can all agree on is this: The Republican Senate candidate, Kurt Alme, does not share our values, and we should do everything in our power to stop him. He will be a puppet for President Donald Trump and rubber-stamp the corruption, backroom deals and abuse of power tearing our country apart. Alme will be a guaranteed vote to strip women of the right to make decisions about our own bodies. Trump already has an automatic yes-man in Sen. Tim Sheehy — we should not send him another one.

And that is why today, I am resigning as party chair, effective immediately, and joining stalwarts like Carol and Denise Juneau, Steve Bullock, Nancy Keenan, Jon Tester, Max Baucus, Carol and Whitney Williams, and many others to endorse independent Seth Bodnar for the U.S. Senate.

I’m a person with a positive outlook. I’m uncomfortable being negative about anyone, especially a Democratic nominee. But sometimes it’s impossible to stay quiet; sometimes you have to make people uncomfortable for the greater good. The winner of this race will almost certainly vote on a nominee to the Supreme Court. And there are real questions about Democrat Alani Bankhead’s commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose, her support of working people and her views of people living in poverty.

Bankhead does not have the momentum, resources or will to win this race. For no apparent reason, she came out of the gate mudslinging at Bodnar, a decent human being, seemingly ignoring the Republican and her ideological opposite.

She has also benefited from Republican spending designed to split the opposition and clear a path for Alme. Democrats should ask themselves why Republicans so badly wanted her on the ballot.

In the months Bankhead has been the nominee and I’ve been chair of the party, she has not sought a conversation around shared values and has refused advice from experienced business and political leaders around the state. For someone almost brand new to Montana, her refusal to listen and learn is puzzling and jarring. Montanans are suffocating due to an affordability crisis, rising fuel prices and an inexplicable war. I want representation by people willing to listen, not those who dig in their heels and cover their ears.

As party chair, I learned that you won’t find the heart and soul of the party at our headquarters in Helena. You’ll find it in small towns, and around kitchen tables and campfires. You’ll find the heart and soul of our party in the public lands Republicans are trying to sell off. The most important part of being a Democrat in Montana has nothing to do with our executive board or 22 pages of bylaws. Montana doesn’t have party registration; instead of cards and lists, we gather around shared values.

I know Bodnar to be someone who listens. He is kind, hardworking and bright. I can say with confidence he has what’s best for Montana’s future in mind. But I did not make this decision lightly. I believe in this party. I believe in Sam Forstag. I believe in Rep. Shelly Fyant, who is running in my district, and the Democrats across Montana running for the Legislature. But my job has never been to protect a ballot line or care about whose sign is standing in whose yard. My job has always been to advance the values Democrats in this state care about, and right now, the clearest path to doing that runs through an independent candidate.

Montanans can feel that Washington, and our democracy, stopped working for them a while ago. This needs to be fixed, and Bodnar has built his entire campaign around it. Our solutions must be bold, and sometimes uncomfortable, steps toward positive change.

The future of our state and our country is at stake. I hope all Democrats across Montana will join me in choosing the best person this year, even if he’s not from the party they were expecting.

The post Why I am resigning as Montana Democratic Party chair to endorse an independent Senate candidate appeared first on MS NOW.

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