University of Montana President Stepping Down Amid Speculation About U.S. Senate Bid
Seth Bodnar said that he would be considering "a new way to serve our state and nation." The leadership transition for the university will begin immediately.
By Mariah Thomas
Seth Bodnar, the president of the University of Montana, announced Wednesday he’d step down from his position running the state’s flagship university, a week after reporting from Montana Free Press and Lee Enterprises created widespread speculation that he’ll run against Steve Daines for the U.S. Senate as an independent.
“It has been my incredible privilege to serve alongside each of you in our important work here at UM,” Bodnar wrote. “Thank you for your faith in me these past eight years, for your incredible hard work and commitment to our students, and for your belief in the importance of this university’s mission.”
Per a University of Montana news release, Bodnar’s statement, which he issued to UM’s campus, came after he notified the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) and the Montana Board of Regents of his decision. In the statement, he hinted that he was considering “a new way to serve our state and nation,” seeming to acknowledge the possibility of a run for office publicly for the first time since last week’s reports that he was mulling it over.
“Service has always been the animating force of my life, and Chelsea and I would like to consider whether to pursue a new way to serve our state and our nation,” Bodnar’s statement read. “I will work closely with Commissioner Christian and our leadership team to ensure a smooth handover of my responsibilities here at UM, after which my family and I will focus on this consideration.”
Todd Buchanan, chair of the Board of Regents, applauded Bodnar’s service at UM in an emailed statement.
“The University of Montana has been fortunate to be so effectively served by President Bodnar,” Buchanan wrote. “Under his leadership, the campus and the broader Missoula community have experienced an empowering turnaround, positioning the university to continue positively impacting the lives of so many Montanans.”
The leadership transition will begin “immediately,” per the UM press release. UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz said Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian will work with the Board of Regents to identify a pool of candidates for the Board to hire a permanent replacement.
“Even though we expect an expedited search process, Commissioner Christian will work with campus leadership during the interim to ensure the campus seamlessly navigates the leadership change,” Kuntz wrote in an email. “As of today there is no established timeline for the search process.”
“As we begin the search for the University’s next President, our goal is clear: to identify a leader who can harness and advance the spirit of success on campus and across Montana,” Buchanan wrote. “We will cast a wide net and anticipate attracting generational talent. Montana should be proud of where The University of Montana has positioned itself as a world leader in Higher Education, and excited for what lies ahead.”
The speculation that Bodnar might run for office began in earnest as former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester made headlines last week for a text message apparently widely circulated in Democratic circles, indicating his support for Bodnar as an independent candidate. Lee Newspapers’ State Bureau first reported on the text message.
On his “Grounded” podcast last Thursday, Tester didn’t deny sending the text, though he did respond to news coverage suggesting he did not support the Democratic Party.
“I’ve spent the last 25 years, quite frankly, working to make sure the Democratic Party can win,” Tester said on the podcast. “And that not only goes for Montana, but around the country. And by the way, I failed. I failed miserably, because quite honestly, when I first got in the state legislature — actually, when I left the state legislature — there was a majority of Democrats in the Montana Senate and a tie in the House. Now it’s far different from that.”
Montana Free Press reported Bodnar was mulling over a run for the Senate seat and would resign his presidential post to run but was waiting to make a formal announcement.
Four Democrats are in the race for the Senate seat already: Reilly Neill, a former state legislator from Livingston; Alani Bankhead, an Air Force veteran; Michael Black Wolf, a tribal historic preservation officer from Hays; and Michael Hummert of Helena.
Democratic Party chair Shannon O’Brien declined to comment on a potential Senate run from an independent candidate in an interview with the Beacon last week.
“I will say that my number one job is to do everything I can to get Democrats elected and that’s where I’m staying focused,” O’Brien said.
Daines, the Republican who currently represents Montana in the U.S. Senate, first won election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. He then won his 2020 re-election bid by 10 points against former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Daines also helmed the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2024, helping to recruit now-U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who unseated Tester last November.
Before Bodnar took over leading the University of Montana in 2018, he was an executive at General Electric. He graduated from West Point, served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and earned two graduate degrees from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.
This story has been updated to include additional information from the University of Montana regarding the next steps to replace Seth Bodnar as president.