MT-01: A look at the candidates (D) running for Montana's western U.S. House seat

Ryan Busse

Busse is a former firearms company executive making his second run as a politician after challenging Gov. Greg Gianforte in 2024, a race he lost by around 20 points. But he earned 43% of the vote in the western district.


Russ Cleveland

Cleveland grew up in the Bitterroot, served in the U.S. Navy, has worked in corporate finance and founded a childcare startup in Colorado. His family now lives outside St. Regis.


Sam Forstag

A Missoula smokejumper and union leader, Forstag has emphasized the need to focus on affordability for working Montanans — including increasing access to housing, childcare, healthcare and retirement.


Matt Rains

Rains has roots that run “damn deep” in the state with a family ranch near Simms that stretches back to the 1860s. He went to West Point and served in the Army as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq. He has spent the last years working with the Montana Farmers Union and positioned himself as someone who understands rural communities in the state.





https://dailymontanan.com/2026/05/29/a-look-at-the-candidates-running-for-montanas-western-u-s-house-seat/