Helena City Commission Candidate Leaves Threatening Voicemail for Senator Sheehy

HELENA — A candidate for Helena City Commission left a threatening voicemail for Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) in July, wishing cancer and death upon the freshman senator after his vote on a Republican reconciliation bill, according to a report published Monday by National Review.

Haley McKnight, who is running for Helena City Commission in the November election, called Sheehy’s Helena district office on July 1 following his vote to advance the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to President Trump’s desk.

“I hope that one day you get pancreatic cancer and it spreads throughout your body so fast that they can’t even treat you for it,” McKnight said in the voicemail, according to a transcript published by National Review. “I hope that you die in the street like a dog.”

The voicemail continued with McKnight expressing hope that Sheehy would become infertile and that his children would never forgive him. She concluded by saying, “God forbid that you ever meet me on the streets, because I will make you regret it.”

McKnight Stands by Comments

When contacted by National Review on Monday, McKnight did not apologize for her remarks. Instead, she defended her comments and doubled down on her criticism of Sheehy.

“To see him throw away what Montanans need and want for his own betterment is enough to make me, yeah, want to fight him on site,” McKnight told the publication. “And I’ll gladly say that, because I think in the time of rising fascism, we shouldn’t be afraid to say these things.”

Asked whether her voicemail went too far, McKnight responded, “No, I don’t think so.” She cited friends who had died from pancreatic cancer because they “could not get the help that they need and the health care that they desperately required.”

McKnight later questioned why her voicemail was newsworthy, noting that Helena is a town of roughly 32,000 people and claiming she has faced “intense political rhetoric” from Helena residents since entering the race.

“Obviously, I have no intent of hurting Senator Sheehy. I couldn’t. I’m— I’m a woman,” she said, while maintaining that her comments were protected free speech.

Background on McKnight

According to the Montana Free Press, McKnight is a North Carolina native who moved to Montana in 2017 to work as an AmeriCorps Vista member in Butte before relocating to Kalispell and then Helena^1.

The progressive-leaning small business owner serves as president of Helena Young Professionals and is running on a platform that includes increased accessibility, sustainability, and public transit funding. If elected, she hopes to institute a moratorium on AirBnBs and VRBOs.

While Helena City Commission elections are technically nonpartisan, McKnight identifies as liberal and has previously donated to Democratic candidates, according to OpenSecrets records.

Political Context

McKnight’s anger was directed at Sheehy’s vote on the GOP reconciliation bill’s Medicaid reforms, which she characterized as stripping “health care for 17 million Americans.” The federal government has been partially shut down since early October, with Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the impasse.

In her interview with National Review, McKnight also referenced the Trump administration’s decision to cancel federal funding for a green hydrogen project in the Northwest, claiming regular people on food stamps are suffering “because of his inaction.”

The incident comes amid broader concerns about increasingly hostile political rhetoric nationwide. National Review noted that other off-year candidates have recently faced criticism for extreme statements, including Virginia Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones, who sent text messages in 2022 wishing death upon a Republican state legislator.

Sheehy’s Response

Reached for comment, Sheehy spokesman Tate Mitchell said: “We hope Ms. McKnight gets the help she clearly needs and wish her well.”

The Helena City Commission election will take place on November 4, with polls opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.