Live dataMontana · 2026 U.S. Senate

Know the problem. Know the candidates. Then vote.

Non-partisan data for Montana, drawn from public records and hundreds of news stories.

Public databases
12
Behind 20 measured problems
News stories on problems
924
Read and scored one by one
News stories on candidates
764
Checked against their public record

The 5 biggest problems in Montana

Measured from public government data. Not from opinions or headlines.

  1. 1Digital Divide

    Among the 3 worst states.

    Critical83/100
  2. 2Corporate Influence in Politics

    Among the 5 worst states.

    Moderate64/100
  3. 3Crime & Safety

    Worse here than in 39 other states.

    Moderate62/100
  4. 4Political Polarization

    Worse here than in 29 other states.

    Moderate55/100
  5. 5Healthcare Access

    Worse here than in 29 other states.

    Moderate52/100
See all 20 problems →

Where the news gets Montana wrong

We compare what the data says with what the news covers.

  • AI Displacement RiskUnder-covered

    The data says ai displacement risk is a bigger problem in Montana than the news coverage suggests.

  • Education QualityUnder-covered

    The data says education quality is a bigger problem in Montana than the news coverage suggests.

  • Cost of Living & InflationOver-covered

    The news talks about cost of living & inflation in Montana far more than the data says it is a problem here.

See every problem compared →

Who is running in Montana

Ranked by Leadership Score — how news coverage describes their leadership. 100 is the best score any leader in U.S. history would earn.

  1. Seth Bodnar
    Independent

    52

    Leadership Score (WATT)

  2. Alani Ines Bankhead
    DemocratParty nominee

    34

    Leadership Score (WATT)

  3. Kurt Alme
    RepublicanParty nominee

    20

    Leadership Score (WATT)

  4. Kyle Austin
    LibertarianParty nominee

    0

    Leadership Score (WATT)

Detail breakdown
MeasureSeth BodnarAlani Ines BankheadKurt AlmeKyle Austin
Leadership Score51.9 / 10033.8 / 10019.6 / 1000.5 / 100
Credit for strengths in the news+70.1+53.2+40.2+0.5
Deduction for criticism in the news−18.1−19.4−20.5−0.0
News stories analysed16810519721
Record ScoreNo voting record — has not served in CongressNo voting record — has not served in CongressNo voting record — has not served in CongressNo voting record — has not served in Congress

Look at the details

Everything above, with the numbers behind it.

Longer bar means bigger problem

Ranked by government data alone, ignoring headlines and politics. 0 means the problem does not exist. 100 means it is as bad as it gets. The dotted line is the average across all 50 states.

1. Digital Divide
83 (Critical)Worse than average
2. Corporate Influence in Politics
64 (Moderate)Worse than average
3. Crime & Safety
62 (Moderate)Worse than average
4. Political Polarization
55 (Moderate)Worse than average
5. Healthcare Access
52 (Moderate)Worse than average
6. AI Displacement Risk
51 (Moderate)Worse than average
7. Climate Vulnerability
50 (Lower)Better than average
8. Wage Stagnation & Income Inequality
49 (Lower)Better than average
9. Education Quality
48 (Lower)Better than average
10. Government Inefficiency
47 (Lower)Better than average