For the first time in three decades, Montanans on Tuesday elected a Democrat to represent them in the U.S. House.
Sam Forstag, 32, a smokejumper and union leader hailing from Missoula, declared victory just after midnight Wednesday. The Democrat led Republican Aaron Flint by 9 points at 12:50 a.m., following ballot counts from Missoula and Gallatin counties, where Forstag racked up early leads of 43 points and 24 points over Flint, respectively.
“This win is the work of thousands of Montanans who are sick of a politics that puts working people last, and who are ready to send one of our own to Washington to make it work for us,” Forstag wrote in an Instagram post. “I want to thank my team, and all our supporters and volunteers who put their time, trust, and heart into this campaign. I also want to thank Aaron Flint and his family for running. Deep as our disagreements may be, democracy is about showing up, and I respect his willingness to enter this race. To all the Montanans who voted for Aaron — I’ll be fighting for you too.”
At the time Forstag made his post, the Associated Press had yet to call the race. Flint, his opponent, called to concede the race around midnight.
Flathead County, the largest Republican stronghold in the western congressional district, was still counting ballots at midnight. Still, results appeared to show the first-time candidate rode a national blue wave into Congress. Democrats Tuesday night won control of both the U.S. Senate and House as voters across the country delivered a rebuke of the Trump administration.
During the election’s final weeks, polling continued to call the race a toss-up, with several predictors giving Forstag the edge in the final days ahead of the election. Forstag also outraised Flint in the final quarter by nearly $1 million.
In his bid for office, Forstag homed in on the cost of living. On the campaign trail, the Democrat often spoke about his working-class roots and challenges he has faced as a young person trying to build a life in the Treasure State. He also made efforts in the tight race to reach across the aisle, a factor political scientist Jessi Bennion previously told the Beacon could be critical in a tight race. Forstag earned and trumpeted endorsements from a slew of former Republican elected officials for his bid for office, including former local state Rep. Brian Putnam and former Gov. Marc Racicot.
His opponent, veteran and radio talk show host Flint, jumped into the race in March after incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who had held the seat since 2022, made a late-in-the-game announcement he would not run for the seat again.
Flint was tapped by Zinke to run for the seat and quickly earned backing from Montana’s statewide elected officials and from President Donald Trump after announcing his bid. In the election’s final weeks, the president, vice president and speaker of the U.S. House traveled to Montana to help Flint across the finish line — efforts that did not make a Republican win come to fruition in the western district. Montana’s western district has long been viewed by Democrats as a potential pickup.
At his election night party at Brannigan’s Pub in Kalispell, that reality is one Flint acknowledged as he spoke with reporters.
“… Since day one, we’ve been saying, ‘look, this is gonna be one of the most important U.S. House races in the country,’” Flint told reporters in a media huddle around 10:15 p.m.
Flint’s event ended at 11 p.m., before results rolled in. But his assessment rang true, as both the National Republican Congressional Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee identified the seat as a target to hold or flip, respectively, and funneled resources into the race.
As for Forstag, the Democrat celebrated his win in Missoula at the Florence Building downtown.
“I promise to keep showing up, listening, and fighting for a future where every Montanan can work one good job and afford the basics, and where our wild places are protected for the Montanans who come next,” Forstag wrote on Instagram. “Let’s show the country that true courage contains compassion, that we are so much stronger together, and that we’re ready to bend the course of this country for the better like so many Montanans have done before.”
