U.S. House race · November 3, 2026

U.S. Representative, Montana District 1

Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes federal laws, approves the federal budget and taxes, and oversees the executive branch.

2-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. The 1st District covers western Montana, including the cities of Kalispell, Missoula, Butte and Bozeman. Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke announced on March 2, 2026, that he would not seek re-election, citing health concerns. Aaron Flint (R) and Sam Forstag (D) won the June 2 primaries, and Libertarian Nick Sheedy advanced without a primary contest. Independent Kimberly Persico filed and sought to qualify by petition but will not appear on the general election ballot. No write-in candidates for this race were identified.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name.

  • Aaron Flint

    Host, "Montana Talks" statewide radio program (on leave while campaigning)
    Republican

    Aaron Flint is a Kalispell radio talk show host and retired Army National Guard and Reserve officer who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He won the Republican primary for the open seat and is campaigning on affordability, timber and trades jobs, public lands access and congressional pay and ethics rules.

  • Sam Forstag

    Former smokejumper; former vice president, National Federation of Federal Employees Local 60
    Democratic

    Sam Forstag is a Missoula wildland firefighter and former smokejumper who was vice president of a Forest Service employees' union local and earlier worked as a lobbyist and organizer. He won the Democratic primary for the open seat and is campaigning on housing, health care and childcare costs, public lands, and higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

  • Libertarian

    Nick Sheedy of Columbia Falls is the Libertarian nominee, endorsed by the Montana Libertarian Party, and advanced without a primary contest. In a Montana Free Press questionnaire he emphasized limits on presidential war powers, monetary reform, limits on corporate and union election spending, and public lands management.

Compare on the issues

Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.

Candidate positions by issue for U.S. Representative, Montana District 1
IssueAaron Flint
Republican
Sam Forstag
Democratic
Nick Sheedy
Libertarian
Foreign Policy

Says he opposes open-ended wars and nation-building but would not support measures that limit the president's ability to act quickly against threats; says he would press the president to bring the war with Iran to a speedy and conclusive end.

Says Congress should enforce the War Powers Resolution and says he would vote to end the war with Iran and spend that money at home.

Supports strengthening the War Powers Resolution so the president cannot go to war without a declaration from Congress, and limiting when National Guard members can be called into federal service or sent to foreign wars.

Health Care

Points to the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program in the 2025 budget law for rural hospitals; supports price transparency, lower prescription drug prices and cutting fraud in Medicare and Medicaid; opposes expanding government-run coverage.

Supports letting every American buy into Medicare, adding vision, dental and hearing coverage, restoring enhanced ACA subsidies, raising Medicare and Medicaid payments to rural hospitals and reversing the 2025 Medicaid and ACA cuts.

Says the federal government should have little role in local hospitals and clinics other than VA facilities, and supports reducing regulations that limit the supply of health care providers.

Energy & Environment

Supports the Public Lands in Public Hands Act to prevent large-scale sale or transfer of federal lands, multiple-use management, larger timber harvests, faster energy permitting and ending the federal Roadless Rule.

Supports fully staffing federal public lands agencies, more forest management and fuels reduction, responsible timber harvest with grants to modernize mills, and legalizing corner crossing to reach public land.

No public position found yet
Housing

Supports banning Wall Street investment firms from buying single-family homes, federally backed mortgages for first responders and teachers (the HELPER Act), fewer building and permitting regulations, and more domestic production of building materials and timber to lower home prices.

Supports large-scale federal investment in affordable housing, incentives for zoning reform, banning hedge funds and private equity firms from buying homes, and restoring a first-time homebuyer tax credit.

No public position found yet
Immigration

Says he would vote to ensure every immigrant in the country illegally is deported from Montana, and says people without legal status should be removed from Medicare and Medicaid.

Supports comprehensive immigration reform with a path to legal status and citizenship, and requiring immigration agents to go unmasked, wear body cameras and badges, and obtain judicial warrants for arrests.

No public position found yet
Economy & JobsNo public position found yetNo public position found yet

Says monetary reform is the most important step on housing and cost of living, and supports ending the Federal Reserve.

Elections & DemocracyNo public position found yetNo public position found yet

Supports federal legislation to undo Citizens United and the 2012 ruling that struck down Montana's 1912 Corrupt Practices Act by limiting campaign contributions to people eligible to vote.

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