Restoring Main Street in Montana: An Interview with Alani Bankhead
Alani Bankhead is the Democratic candidate for Montana’s Senate seat up for election in 2026. Growing up in a army household, Bankhead has lived in many cities throughout the globe. She participated in U.S. Air Force ROTC at Penn State University, and, like her father, served in the Air Force. After retiring from the army, Bankhead grew to become a licensed skilled coach and based Mighty Sparrow Coaching, a management growth enterprise.
Currently, polls have Republican Kurt Alme main the Senate race, with unbiased Seth Bodnar polling in second and Alani Bankhead trailing in third. The HPR sat down with Bankhead this October to debate the issues dealing with Montanans and the way she hopes to resolve them.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Harvard Political Review: Can you please clarify the fundamentals of your financial coverage as a complete?
Alani Bankhead: I’ve a grasp’s diploma in worldwide relations with a nationwide safety focus. When you have a look at the historical past of how nation-states got here to be, first they exist to proceed present, however additionally they exist to offer their constituents with the very best high quality of life. Currently, this relationship between the folks and the federal government is totally damaged. On the financial facet of issues, diesel at the moment is $6.42 a gallon, fertilizer costs went up 30%, and due to the struggle in Iran, fuel costs and diesel costs going up signifies that every part goes up. Groceries are very costly, and healthcare is uncontrolled. On common, we hear that folks’s medical health insurance premiums are $700 a month with a $10,000 deductible, which is insane. In phrases of housing, Montana is probably the most unaffordable place once you evaluate housing prices with wages.
So, we will see that this social contract between the federal government and the folks is damaged. People are working two or three jobs, and Montanans are working their butts off. People don’t complain or ask for a lot. One of the explanations I’m operating is as a result of I’m pissed off with this damaged social contract.
My financial coverage total is to get extra {dollars} in the pocketbooks of Montanans. All the research present that should you infuse Main Street with cash, then each sector of society will do nicely. If you inject funds into the marginalized, each sector of society does nicely. That’s why packages just like the New Deal have been created — these social safety security nets — as they gave a leg as much as on a regular basis folks. This created the center class, which was the very best invention in American historical past, and possibly world historical past. So, my fundamental financial coverage is to get {dollars} into Montanans’ pockets and to combat to make it possible for Montans are protected against huge enterprise, however we’re nonetheless supporting capitalism. We’re a capitalistic society; we’re not anti-business. We simply assume there will be extra overlap between companies being profitable and folks having what they should survive.
HPR: One of the stuff you’ve talked about is elevating the federal minimal wage to $17 an hour by 2030. This is an increase of about $6 from Montana’s present minimal wage of $10.85, and almost a $10 increase in the present federal minimal wage of $7.25. There’s some concern about how this can have an effect on small companies. How do you hope to extend the minimal wage whereas nonetheless defending small companies?
AB: The reply to that’s we hearken to the folks. The authorities has been a zero-sum sport for too lengthy. The mindset of most authorities officers is “I win, you lose” or “I lose, you win.” What I’ve accomplished traditionally is create win-wins for everyone, and which means creating the area for all of the related events to return and discuss by way of what a win appears like in order that we will discover that candy spot. When I say I’m proposing growing the federal minimal wage, what which means is we’re not going to blatantly say, “it’s going to be $17 an hour, suck it up.” It’s bringing small enterprise house owners to the desk, as small companies are over 80% of the economic system in Montana; they’re the spine of our economic system. It’s how we will step up that minimal wage in a approach that doesn’t trigger small companies to go bankrupt.
This is a multi-layered query. One of the issues that causes companies to fail is that they will’t afford to pay their workers as a result of they’re paying for different issues like their medical health insurance. I’m the one candidate in this race who’s for common well being care, and we will try this with out folks paying extra in taxes as a result of we’re the richest nation in the world. We have loads of pork barrel spending in the federal government, and there’s lots of overhead in the medical health insurance business. So finally, after we get reasonably priced healthcare, that not solely places, on common, $700 a month again in the pockets of individuals paying for insurance coverage, but it surely additionally places a reimbursement in the pockets of small enterprise house owners to allow them to pay folks extra wages.
There are lots of issues that we’ve proposed on the federal stage that shall be a layered response and can create a extra mild transition for these packages in order that we will elevate wages, assist native companies in order that they will proceed present, and hopefully develop. Again, Main Street cash signifies that all people does higher.
HPR: What are your plans to make Montana extra reasonably priced in the case of housing?
AB: Again, it’s a multi-layered reply. First, we’ve to get non-public fairness out of housing. Housing is a proper that folks want entry to, and it shouldn’t be one thing that’s primarily to make huge firms extra money. We’ve talked about elevating the capital positive aspects restrict from $250,000 to $500,000. It’s an awesome legislation, and folks adore it, however the legislation hasn’t been up to date because the ‘90s. Housing prices have gone up, so that means a lot of people are holding on to houses because they don’t need to promote and pay taxes on these homes. If we elevate that restrict, folks will promote these homes. I’ve solely heard optimistic suggestions on this coverage proposal. We know that, merely, provide and demand says that the extra provide you’ve gotten, the value will come down.
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The different factor that we will do on the provision facet is take away boundaries for building firms. One of their greatest boundaries is taxes. I perceive precisely what that’s like as a result of I’ve a small enterprise myself. So, offering tax incentives is without doubt one of the greatest methods to create the conduct we would like. Let’s say if greater than 30% of the homes they’re constructing are reasonably priced housing, which I outline as $350,000 or much less, then they get tax breaks on the federal stage.
One of the opposite huge points we’ve in housing is the allowing course of, which isn’t a federal situation however a state and native situation. That’s the place I’d work down-ballot with the state and native legislators to make sure that I, on the federal stage, am supporting no matter they want to make sure that the allowing course of is smoothed out in a approach that we will get extra homes constructed extra shortly.
I’ve discovered that in the federal authorities, you’ve gotten your huge objectives that take some time to get accomplished. Housing is a kind of as a result of there are lots of parts that go into it to deliver these prices down. But once you begin engaged on these little modifications, when you’ve gotten these bipartisan efforts just like the capital positive aspects enhance, they begin to snowball. Then, folks see motion in the correct route, and different folks need to observe go well with.
HPR: Montana depends closely on federal funding, which accounts for roughly 43% of our state’s funding. Do you’ve gotten any plans to make Montana extra self-sufficient?
AB: I believe the objective of each particular person is to be self-sufficient. Montanans are very proud folks, and we don’t need to should depend on others to a sure extent. We are working throughout completely different sectors to make {that a} actuality. Agriculture is a very good instance. I used to be speaking to of us in completely different associations not too long ago, they usually’re actually hurting. They have this Argentinian thriller meat coming in; their psychological well being is struggling, struggling financially; the massive 4 company agriculture entities are dominating every part. USAID was lower final yr, and that meant lots of the contracts for agriculture have been misplaced. I requested if that’s one thing they need reinstated, they usually stated they’d really desire to have meals sovereignty in Montana. They would favor to supply native meals to feed native folks. They would somewhat do data change with these overseas agricultural producers in order that they turn into self-sustaining agricultural communities as nicely. That’s the consensus we see throughout, however Montanans want a leg up on how to do this.
Small enterprise is, once more, the spine of our economic system, but it surely’s additionally one of many quickest methods to construct wealth. We have packages and coverage positions in place to assist folks wanting to begin small companies. This is America, that is Montana; you possibly can create something and make one thing of your self. And when you’re doing very well, you’re paying extra in taxes, which implies higher colleges and higher roads. Ultimately, what it comes all the way down to is partnering with Montanans to see what a larger group appears like for you.
HPR: You’ve talked a bit about supporting common healthcare. One of the massive issues is what it will do to rural hospitals. Roughly 49% of rural hospitals in Montana operate at a loss, and roughly 16% are vulnerable to closure. How can common healthcare be tailor-made to assist these hospitals?
AB: First and foremost, I need to acknowledge the details. We’re the one developed nation in the world that doesn’t have common healthcare. So, there are many different nations which have it and are doing it nicely. The greatest obstacle I hear from of us is, “I don’t want my taxes to go up,” and “I don’t want my tax money to go to undeserving people.” [Universal healthcare has] already been accomplished; we don’t must reinvent the wheel. Also, we even have a type of common healthcare known as TriCare. It’s the army’s healthcare system. It’s a single-payer system that covers eyes, dental, main care, and psychological well being, and you’ll go anyplace in the nation. If you’ve gotten an emergency, you don’t must switch or get completely different insurance coverage; you possibly can simply stroll into no matter clinic or emergency room you need, and also you’ll be seen.
They have options for rural healthcare constructed in. In the army, you’ve gotten these hard-to-fill places, like rural locations. What they do to incentivize folks in these places is present a rise in pay to healthcare suppliers for 3 to 5 years, after which they’ll give them a selection of location after. They’ll additionally provide extra advantages like housing. Obviously, it’s very related in rural areas and in Montana to have the federal government construct housing in order that we will have healthcare suppliers on web site. And, on high of that, when the federal government runs your healthcare, it runs it as a service, not as a enterprise.
I’ve talked to folks on all ranges of this healthcare disaster. When we discuss to coaching and native healthcare professionals, what they are saying is that it’s principally not possible to place a coaching web site in a rural space since you want sure specialties to be represented there, so it’s important to entice folks in these specialties to reside in that space, which isn’t prone to occur. Then it’s important to have the infrastructure and cash to construct the ability and run it at a loss. The authorities does that proper now. We have medical coaching amenities that we run at a loss as a result of the army companies want healthcare. So, that will be a authorities service that we will present the place they’re constructing coaching amenities out in Glendive or Miles City, after which they may rent and retain native Montanans, who have already got deep roots in the group, to get educated in these amenities and return to their communities to offer these healthcare companies.
Lots of people don’t go and see the physician when it’s a bit of drawback as a result of they will’t afford it, so that they solely go to the physician when it’s an emergency. But once you stroll into the emergency room, every part is 10 occasions dearer. When you’ve gotten common healthcare, none of these prices exist as a result of you possibly can stroll in and get main care when it’s not a foul situation, somewhat than when it turns into an emergency.
Another factor is that this situation of use-or-lose spending. For completely different departments, should you don’t spend all your price range, you lose what you didn’t spend, and also you get much less subsequent yr. In September of 2025, the federal government spent $93 billion of your taxpayer {dollars} on issues like child grand pianos and devices and lobster tails due to this coverage. We have the cash to have the ability to fund common healthcare in a approach that we will nonetheless meet nationwide safety necessities with out elevating taxes, and that’s how we get common healthcare.
HPR: What’s your stance on knowledge facilities in Montana?
AB: Myself and Kyle Austin, the libertarian candidate, are the one two candidates towards AI knowledge facilities. I’m the one candidate who got here out for a moratorium, and I say that as a result of 82% of Montanans don’t need AI knowledge facilities. They don’t need their electrical energy costs to go up; they don’t need to should pay for this.
Make no mistake, this whole race is about AI knowledge facilities. The Republican [Kurt Alme] and the unbiased [Seth Bondar] gained’t come out towards AI knowledge facilities, and in truth the unbiased has come out towards a moratorium. This is as a result of they’re purchased and paid for by the billionaire class and tech firms that need these AI knowledge facilities, they usually need them constructed in public areas and public land. That’s why the federal authorities is doing this push to decentralize the Forest Service and put that again to the states. It’s an effort to open up our public lands for exploitation. This is the primary situation, in addition to affordability, that Montanans are the loudest about. I’m the one candidate who’s towards AI knowledge facilities and for healthcare costs coming down for everyone.
HPR: Any remaining ideas you’d like so as to add?
AB: I normally finish by reminding of us that I’m the one candidate for common healthcare, I’m considered one of two towards AI knowledge facilities, I’m the one one who’s put handcuffs on the Epstein class for little one exploitation, and I’m the one one with ties to D.C. of us who get stuff accomplished. The energy of Montana lies in the group and in the reminder of who we’re as people. I inform those that whereas others have the cash, we’ve the various. We’re experiencing the Copper Kings 2.0 in the case of cash in elections. In my profession in the army, I’ve arrested a whole lot of pedophiles, and we did that with a crew of about 5 people who find themselves no completely different than you and me. We simply cared. It was a messy course of, and we didn’t know what we have been doing in the start. The onerous half is reminding Montanans that our humility is our superpower — the concept that one particular person isn’t sufficient, however after we every provide our share, we win. My remaining reminder is at all times that we will select our values or we will select our fears. Montanans normally select values due to the love we’ve for our group, and I believe that’s going to win in the top.
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