Sam Forstag, Former Smokejumper, Seeks Montana’s 1st Congressional District Seat

Former wildland firefighter Sam Forstag has entered the race for Montana’s 1st congressional district. The 32-year-old Democrat could become the first Democrat to represent the district since 1994 if he wins the November 2026 election. Early polling shows a close contest against Republican Aaron Flint, a longtime conservative radio host. Forstag’s platform focuses on affordable housing, health care, child-care and retirement security for working families.

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Montana has elected statewide Democrats recently, but the 1st district remains Republican-leaning; Trump won it by 12 points in 2020. Forstag grew up in Portland, Oregon, the son of a single-mother nurse and a single-father teacher. He financed his University of Montana education by holding three jobs, including a Subway counter inside a Walmart. After graduating, he joined a fire crew to repay loans and later qualified for a smokejumper unit, completing 33 fires and 116 jumps across the West while earning $15 an hour without health insurance or retirement benefits.

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• Sam Forstag – Democratic congressional candidate; former smokejumper; former vice president of NFFE Local 60.

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• Bernie Sanders – U.S. Senator; endorsed Forstag.

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• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) – U.S. Representative; endorsed Forstag.

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• Aaron Flint – Republican primary winner; conservative radio host.

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• Ryan Zinke – Former Interior Secretary and incumbent congressman who withdrew after ethics complaints.

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• NFFE Local 60 – Labor union representing 800 western-Montana forest-service workers; Forstag served as vice president in 2025.

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• 2025 – Forstag elected vice president of NFFE Local 60.

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• Early 2026 – Forest Service “efficiency” purge results in 360 firings, 85 % earning under $20 hour.

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• September 2026 – Forstag decides to run while at a lake in his 1984 Toyota camper van.

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• December 2026 – Resigns from his federal position and announces candidacy.

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• March 2026 – Incumbent Ryan Zinke announces retirement, clearing the field.

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• August 2026 – Forstag campaigns in Columbia Falls, highlighting constituent stories.

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• Union membership: NFFE Local 60 counted 800 members in 2025.

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• Forest Service layoffs: 360 workers dismissed in a single day; 85 % earned less than $20 per hour.

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• Smokejumper experience: 33 wildfires, 116 parachute jumps; hourly wage $15, no employer-provided health coverage.

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• Election history: No Democrat elected to the House from the district since 1994; Trump’s 2020 margin was 12 points.

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Forstag says the current economic system leaves many Montanans unable to afford basics, citing constituents forced to choose between medication and meals. He frames his platform as a response to “fat” in government, contrasting low-wage frontline workers with wealthy individuals receiving large tax subsidies. In response to GOP criticism over gender-affirming care, he emphasizes his focus on economic security. Former Congressman Zinke, who faced 18 ethics complaints, withdrew, prompting Forstag to note his disappointment at not facing Zinke directly but pledging to defeat Zinke’s endorsed successor.

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If elected, Forstag would bring frontline labor and public-land management experience to Congress, potentially shaping policies on wildfire response, labor rights and rural health care. His campaign tests a blue-collar, economically focused Democratic message in a historically Republican district.

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The race will culminate in the November 2026 general election. Both campaigns are expected to intensify outreach to rural voters and continue fundraising ahead of the final voting month.

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