Sam Forstag Wins 4-Way Montana House Primary as 32-Year-Old Tests Democrats' Populist Pitch
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 3
Sam Forstag Wins 4-Way Montana House Primary as 32-Year-Old Tests Democrats' Populist Pitch
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 3
Summary
Sam Forstag, a 32-year-old union leader and former smoke jumper, won Tuesday’s four-way Democratic primary in western Montana, beating moderates including former gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse and rancher-veteran Matt Rains.
Backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Forstag ran on a working-class populist message centered on housing, health care and child care rather than a centrist strategy in a Republican-leaning district.
Forstag now faces Republican Aaron Flint, a local radio host backed by Donald Trump, in the race to replace Republican Representative Ryan Zinke, who is not seeking re-election.
The district has not elected a Democrat this century, and Trump carried it by 12 points in 2024, making the general election a test of whether Democrats can compete in solidly red areas with a more left-leaning candidate.