Democrat Brand is “Poison” in Montana, According to…Democrats

The Democrat label has become "poison" in Montana. And that's not the GOP saying that, it's the Democrats themselves.

Check out the below guest opinion column from the chairman of the Missoula GOP- Michael HagEstad.

Op-Ed: Democrats Poison for All Montanans, Not Just Candidates

Jon Tester recently referred to the toxic effect of having a (D) next to his name on his failed re-election campaign as “poison,” implying that he would have won if he was not a Democrat. As always, Democrats like Tester, and liberal-progressives in general, view words as mere tools to get political power, not as a way to communicate meaning or ideas. Montana voters cut through the word games and correctly identified Democrat ideology and policies as poisonous for Montanans and Americans more broadly.

It was not the letter (D) that was toxic, but rather, what that letter next to a candidate’s name represents. The (D) is toxic because of the policies supported by people who share that letter, and Tester’s cynical word-game observation is truer than he likely meant it. A former Senate page quoted by UM’s own student newspaper put it well: “Seeing the word Democrat behind your name is already a loss.”

Tester is not the only Democrat who views their party as a hindrance; now, former UM President Seth Bodnar is eyeing a run as an “INO” – an Independent in Name Only, like Bernie Sanders.

The word “Democrat” carries baggage, just like “liberal” and “progressive” (which the liberal-progressives change out like soiled clothing every decade or so). Montanans know the impact of Democrat policies, especially here in Missoula: high taxes, high crime, and high government salaries. This is part of the reason why I have been against “non-partisan” elections.

Democrats know that the game is up if they have to place a (D) next to their name, so in 1972,they made many elected offices “non-partisan,” allowing them to avoid that toxic letter. Making elections “non-partisan” does not remove the partisanship from politics. It simply removes information from voters – information that the Democrats know poisons their chances of winning elections. Bodnar wants to run as an “Independent” for the same reason that Democrats pushed “non-partisan” elections; to avoid the baggage of the Democrat label.

This year, do not be deceived by the left’s cavalier use of words. Words have meaning, and “Democrat” means bad policies; but a Democrat running as an “Independent” means bad policies and deceit. Voters know that the quickest indicator of whether a candidate will be a benefit or a detriment to them and their family is whether there is an (R) or a (D) next to their name. That’s why the Montana Republican Party is working hard to protect the meaning of its label.

Montanans won’t be fooled by “INOs” like Sneaky Seth or by Democrats masquerading as Republicans in our legislature. We’ve had enough of leftist, relativistic word-smithing. In 2026, Montanans will vote for prosperity over poison.

Michael HagEstad is Chair of the Missoula County Republican Central Committee and an associate attorney at HagEstad Law Group. A Missoula native, he earned his J.D. from the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law and a B.A. in Economics from Hillsdale College.