Campaign Beat
Fridays at 5:45 p.m. & Saturdays at 9:45 a.m.
Campaign Beat is Montana Public Radio's weekly political analysis program. It's hosted by Sally Mauk and features Lee Newspapers State News Bureau Chief Holly Michels and Rob Saldin of the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center and Political Science Department.
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The Montana political world awaits UM president Seth Bodnar's decision about his future, and Republicans aren't waiting to put out an attack ad. Democratic Senate candidate Reilly Neill thinks a conspiracy is behind a possible Bodnar Senate run. And new candidates with no political experience continue to enter the congressional races.
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A text from former-Sen. Jon Tester has Democrats all shook up. University of Montana President Seth Bodnar may enter the Senate race. And the Democratic candidates for the western district House race have similar sounding campaign messages.
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Midterm elections typically don't attract much attention, but 2026 may be different. With three of Montana's four seats in Congress on the ballot, nearly a dozen challengers have thrown their hat in the ring. Republican incumbents are favored in all three races, with the western district race seen as the most competitive.
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Republicans sweep to victory in Montana's top races. Montana's newly elected Senator promises to bring people together. Voters say ‘yes’ to protecting the right to an abortion. "Campaign Beat" wraps up for the year.
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Polls and pundits will soon be proven right or wrong. Last-ditch ads stray further from the facts. Early voting is higher in some counties than others.
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Montana’s attorney general faces an unprecedented sanction, but he still expects to be re-elected. A former park ranger insists Senate candidate Tim Sheehy accidentally shot himself in Glacier Park, despite the candidate’s denials. An outside group tries to insert the debate over trans athletes into a Montana Supreme Court race.
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The two main candidates for governor spar over property taxes, housing costs, and abortion. And the two candidates for the western district congressional race tussle over the same issues in recent debates.
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State Attorney General Austin Knudsen is making headlines — but not the kind you want when you're seeking reelection. Two state Supreme Court candidates are hoping to get voters' attention.
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Jon Tester and Tim Sheehy land the punches they want to land in their debate. And U.S. House candidate Monica Tranel turns to the time-honored Montana campaign tradition of shooting something out of the sky.
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A quickly corrected ballot error raises questions; A new ad questions Monica Tranel's stance on the border; Controversial South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem stumps for Tim Sheehy, who has no comment on evidence he plagiarized portions of his memoir.
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Voters will get one chance to see candidates for governor debate. Housing costs are in the spotlight. The NRA enters the fray in the U.S. Senate race.
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Montana Democratic candidates are not anxious to ride Kamala Harris's coattails. Monica Tranel vows to make the border safer, while her opponent Ryan Zinke vows to protect girls sports from trans athletes. Tim Sheehy remains silent about insulting Montana's Crow Tribe. And Republicans accuse Jon Tester of bias against white farmers.