Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou

Independent candidates are hoping to leave their mark on the 2026 midterm elections, with 47 on the ballot for U.S. Senate alone. And Montana’s race might be the wildest of them all.

Former University of Montana president and Army veteran Seth Bodnar joins Grounded to make his case for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat. We clear the air on why he is running as an independent, what he’s hearing from voters, and why he thinks people are hungry for leadership that’s not beholden to either party. As for why he decided to run?

“Every veteran has a little bit of survivor’s guilt. I was really lucky. You know, I didn’t face what so many did,” Bodnar said. “But I’ve got friends who are in the ground who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country. I have the privilege— I was blessed to be able to live, to be able to have kids, to be able to have a family. And I owe it to them. To try to do right by this country, the country they died for. And I’d be damned if I’m going to stand aside and watch it go to hell.”

The conversation includes his latest pledge on AI data centers, Medicaid cuts, housing costs, and the attacks he’s faced on the campaign trail. Plus, his military perspective on the escalating war in Iran.

“When you politicize the U.S. military, you strike at the very heart of what makes this country special,” the former Green Beret said. “I’ve got a lot to say about the U.S. military, but I'm deeply, deeply concerned.”

Make sure you stick around for the new reason Maritsa will only be addressing Jon Tester as “sir” from now on.

Grounded welcomes former Ambassador to Japan and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, known for his aggressive political style, who kicks things off by reminiscing about trying to recruit Jon Tester to run for the House instead of the Senate back in 2006 (spoiler: it was really about beating Chuck Schumer).

We have a wide ranging conversation that’s at times playful and at other times blunt and unfiltered. We discuss what Emanuel calls a dangerous erosion of American deterrence with China, North Korea, and Russia, which he says is being tested right now. We also dive into some of the more contentious issues showing up in political conversations, including the fight over the future of the Democratic Party and the discussions around Israel and Gaza—with his stances at times drawing pushback from those in his own party. Plus, why Emanuel says winning red and purple districts is imperative in the interest of delivering progressive legislation.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has long been telling us to follow the money—especially when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. Wyden joins Grounded to break down a bombshell investigation his office conducted over four years that revealed major banking institutions looked the other way on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and how regulators may have also done the same. Wyden explains more about the documents he’s still trying to get, the lack of help from his colleagues across the aisle, and his promise to hold people accountable. Plus, Wyden spills the tea on what it was really like living next to Jon Tester.

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee joins Grounded way too early in the morning to discuss the devastating wildfires out west, worsening climate change impacts, and the drivers behind soaring energy costs. Inslee, who leads the Climate Power accountability project, also lays out what he calls the “four C’s” — cost, chaos, corruption, and climate denial — defining the current political moment. Plus, how will accountability and anti-corruption messaging play out this election cycle? Come for the environmental policy chat, stay for the Brandi Carlile love fest at the end!