Democrat Sam Forstag has secured victory in the primary election for Montana’s 1st Congressional District, as projected by CBS News.
The Cook Political Report, which is known for its nonpartisan analysis, categorizes this House race as likely to favor Republicans. Nevertheless, Democrats remain optimistic about their prospects of winning the open seat in November, as they aim to regain a majority during the last two years of President Trump’s second term.
This congressional seat is presently occupied by Republican Representative Ryan Zinke, who announced his retirement in early March. He cited health concerns stemming from his service as a Navy SEAL as the primary reason for his decision, noting the possibility of missing future votes while he recuperates from medical treatments.
Zinke has represented Montana in Congress since 2015, with a brief hiatus from 2017 to 2019 when he served as the Secretary of the Interior under President Trump. He stepped down from his Cabinet position amid ethics inquiries. In the 2022 congressional elections, Zinke won reelection against his Democratic challenger by a margin of three percentage points. In a subsequent rematch in 2024, he expanded his victory margin to nearly eight percentage points.
If Forstag is successful in the upcoming House election, it would mark the first time in three decades that a Democrat has held a seat in Montana’s lower chamber.
“To win an election in this state, and to create a viable path for the national party, we must reconnect with working-class individuals,” Forstag expressed in an interview with CBS News earlier this year.
“We need to regain the support of union members like myself, who feel abandoned by both political parties. Additionally, we must engage younger voters who, in parts of Western Montana, are facing the daunting reality of not being able to envision owning a home in this state,” he added.
Forstag, who works as a smokejumper and serves as a union leader, has garnered endorsements from notable figures including Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, has also thrown its support behind Forstag.
During the campaign’s final days, Ocasio-Cortez campaigned alongside Forstag, stating at a rally in Missoula, “When there’s a crisis in this state, Sam rushes towards it. That exemplifies his character, and we have the chance to send someone like him to Congress.”
Forstag faced competition in the primary from former firearms company executive Ryan Busse, Navy veteran and rancher Russ Cleveland, and Army veteran and rancher Matt Rains.
