June 21st 2026 Len’s Political Note #820 Sam Forstag Montana 01
2026 General Election
A smokejumper fights early-stage wildfires by parachuting into remote and early wilderness fires to prevent them spreading and becoming more dangerous. Able to go long distances quickly and use equipment a crew traveling on foot could not heft, smokejumpers can achieve their goal in a way no one travelling on the ground possibly could.
Sam Forstag’s work is not a metaphor for his politics. One conflagration someone might have put out years ago may burning out in Montana.
The Montana 01 incumbent Republican, Ryan Zinke was Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary during his first Presidential term. Trump fired Zinke for what could be described as the appearance of corruption. On March 2, 2026 in his home town of Whitefish – pretty late in the election season, he announced he would not run for reelection to Congress.
It is unclear whether among the reasons the sixty-four year old Zinke decided not to run, was a fear of losing in 2026. He had won by almost 8 points in 2024, improving on a 3 point victory in 2022. That previous mid-term race was close enough to convince four Democrats that it was possible to win an election in Montana 01.
Sam Forstag defeated three candidates in the Democratic primary, two of whom I have supported before.Sam Forstag earned 37% of the votes in the primary. Ryan Busse, a former gun manufacturer who now favors gun regulation, lost the governor’s race by 20 points in 2024. Busse earned 33% of the vote. Russell Cleveland was third in the race with 22%. A successful businessman in Oregon, he and his wife returned to his home state Montana after the death of their thirteen year old daughter. He announced early and I wrote about him in July, nearly a year ago when I thought I was the only one who believed Zinke could be vulnerable.
Sam Forstag has excited many in Montana’s Democratic Party. He had spent four years as a smokejumper in the National Forest Service when Elon Musk took his chain saw to that agency. Thousands were fired. In April, a month after Ryan Zinke announced he would not run for reelection and four months after he entered the race, accompanied by Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Sam Forstag spoke to a rally of 7,500 people about his election plans.
Sam Forstag grew up in Portland and graduated from Jesuit High School there. He was on the track team, the swim team, and volunteered for an organization that provided food and clothing to the needy. His family was not that far from being needy themselves. His parents were divorced, his dad was without resources until he got a teaching license, his mom was a nurse who took extra shifts to make ends meet.
After high school, he went to the University of Montana where he majored in political science and philosophy. He would argue that you can be blue collar and study philosophy at the same time. In college, he lived the political science part. He served as a student senator and, his senior year, was elected president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana.
After he graduated in 2017, Sam Forstag went to work as a lobbyist and an organizer – for the Montana Associated Students. He was proud to have helped achieve a 2 year tuition freeze and a substantial commitment to college and university infrastructure.
Sam Forstag also worked as a sawyer for the US Forest Service. As he describes it, he worked 16 hour days for up to 14 days in a row fighting fires by cutting down trees. By 2022, he had been promoted from squad leader to smokejumper. By 2021, in his political life, he had become a partner of Central House Strategies working on issues like homelessness and food pantries. By 2025, Sam Forstag was Vice President of his union local.
In January, 2026, Sam Forstag announced his run for Congress. He said “It’s become too damn hard for most Montanans to afford basic things like housing, healthcare, childcare, and even groceries,….I’m running for Congress because I’m done pretending the rich and powerful are going to take care of us. We take care of us.” He added that the incumbent Ryan Zinke had been “getting millions richer, cutting taxes for corporations and his rich friends while the rest of us fall further behind.”
In his announcement video, Sam Forstag said “I know what it’s like to work a thousand hours of overtime and still be holding on by my fingernails”. His website argues that a significant federal investment in housing would address that affordability crisis. He argues that giving everyone a choice to join Medicare would be a giant step toward fixing what he called a broken system of private medical insurance. His childcare plan would offer universally available childcare and universal prekindergarten education. There is more, but that’s a start.
The Republicans want to fight the campaign on cultural issues. Zinke’s spokesperson responded to Sam Forstag’s April rally by saying he “represents Mamdani, not Montana….He literally stood with Bernie Sanders and AOC rallying against Montanans ….. As the lobbyist for the radical, anti-American organization ACLU and head of the U of M student government, Sam personally tried to put men in little girls’ locker rooms, criminal illegal aliens in our hometowns, and turn Montana into failed California. Thank god he failed. Forstag may have national money but he won’t have Montana’s votes,”
The Republicans nominated radio host Aaron Flint. He was Ryan Zinke’s candidate, A communications major at the University of Montana, he coordinated communications for Zinke before becoming the Managing Producer of and a reporter for KTVQ. Flint thinks Congress should be more like a talk show. He describes his own “deep relationship” with his listeners. “You’re with them at their breakfast table every morning, in their pickup. You’re in the combine cab with them. And they really get to know you, not only what you think about the issues, but they get to know you as a person,” The Montana Free Press says Flint “amplifies normally private doubts and fears and disputes about transgender people, or vaccines, or immigrants, while providing a safe haven for conservative politicians to demonize Democrats.”
Aaron Flint does not say a lot about policy. His website quotes President Donald Trump’s endorsement: “He will work tirelessly to champion farmers and ranchers, cut taxes and regulations, promote “made in the USA. unleash American energy dominance, keep our border secure and stop migrant crime.”
Support Sam Forstag. DONATE to his campaign. This is a winnable election.
Other Elections in Montana and nearby states
US Senate – Montana. Seth Bodnar, former President of the University of Montana, retired from a distinguished military career. Supported by former US Senator Jon Tester, he is running as an independent. He has a better chance than most because his opponent, former US Attorney Kurt Alme, was the beneficiary of a switcheroo that allowed the former Senator to announce his retirement and sneak in Alme as his favorite for the job with no party competition whatsoever. Furthermore, Seth Bodnar has had some success raising money. On May 13, Seth Bodnar and the Republican Alme were virtually tied in the financial race. DONATE to Seth Bodnar’s campaign. Help him expand his small financial lead. See Len’s Political Note #797
Montana Supreme Court. County Judge Amy Eddy fits the non-partisan, judicious approach Montana state supreme court has taken over the years. The Flathead Beacon, supporting her opponent Dan Wilson, attacked two Supreme Court Justices, claiming they were supporting Amy Eddy and further claiming she would join them in supporting the rights of trans people. Amy Eddy has not taken no such position. She does emphasize the importance to her of being fair and impartial – qualities that have characterized the entire career of this daughter of a small ski resort who skied downhill to school in the winter. DONATE to Amy Eddy’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #749
US Senate – Idaho. Former tank battalion commander and entrepreneur Todd Achilles is running as an independent and chasing the 83 year old incumbent Jim Risch. If he had resources, he might have a chance to win. As it is, on March13, he had $100,000 to Risch’s $3.7 million. If you want to help Todd Achilles in his chase DONATE to his campaign.
North Dakota Democratic Party. The Republicans of North Dakota were divided in the primary. “Populist,” Trumpite holders of legislative seats were ousted by the regulars after several years of the reverse happening. I have no specific races to recommend to you. But if you want to help North Dakota Democrats take advantage of the split in the state Republican Party, DONATE to the state Democratic Party.
US Senate — South Dakota Like Montana and Idaho, South Dakota has an independent Senate candidate who could compete. Like the Idaho race, however, he has few resources available to make his competition effective. Brian Bengs became a JAG attorney after returning from the Navy and going to college and law school. In his retirement, he spent some time as a National Park ranger. Elon Musk’s chainsaw was part of his motivation to run for the US Senate. If you want to help Brian Bengs compete, DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #774
