2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana

2026 United House of Representatives elections in Montana

November 3, 2026
Both Montana seats to the United States House of Representatives
Party Republican Democratic Last election 2 0

The 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Montana, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections will coincide with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections took place on June 2, 2026.¹

2026 Montana's 1st congressional district election

Nominee Aaron Flint Sam Forstag Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke Republican

The 1st district is based in western Montana, including Missoula, Bozeman, Butte, and Kalispell. The incumbent is Republican Ryan Zinke, who was re-elected with 52.3% of the vote in 2024.² On March 2, 2026, Zinke announced that he would retire once his present term ends.³

• Aaron Flint, radio host⁴

• Ray Curtis, educator⁵
• Christi Jacobsen, Secretary of State of Montana (2021–present)⁶
• Albert Olszewski, former state senator (2017–2021), Flathead County Republican Central Committee chairman, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018, governor in 2020, and this seat in 2022⁷

• Ryan Zinke, incumbent U.S. representative (endorsed Flint)⁷

• Matt Regier, president of the Montana Senate (2025–present) from the 5th district (2025–present)⁸
• Denny Rehberg, former U.S. representative (2001–2013)⁸

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Aaron Flint (R)	$677,089	$292,415	$384,673
Christi Jacobson (R)	$447,271	$352,505	$94,766
Albert Olszewski (R)	$411,338	$317,276	$104,010
Source: Federal Election Commission13

Republican primary results¹⁴

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Aaron Flint	40,880	50.1
	Republican	Christi Jacobsen	18,722	23.0
	Republican	Al Olszewski	16,517	20.3
	Republican	Ray Curtis	5,435	6.7
Total votes			81,554	100.0

• Sam Forstag, smokejumper and union leader¹⁵

• Ryan Busse, author, former vice president of sales at Kimber Manufacturing, and nominee for governor in 2024¹⁶
• Russell Cleveland, education consultant¹⁷
• Matt Rains, rancher and candidate for Montana's at-large congressional district in 2020¹⁸

• Brian Schweitzer, former Governor of Montana (2005–2013)⁸(endorsed Busse)
• Hank Green, vlogger and entrepreneur¹⁹

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Ryan Busse (D)	$702,447	$551,915	$150,531
Russell Cleveland (D)	$418,450	$363,895	$54,554
Samuel Forstag (D)	$694,569	$533,132	$161,437
Matt Rains (D)	$265,119	$230,813	$34,305
Source: Federal Election Commission13

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample sizea	Margin of error	Ryan Busse	Russell Cleveland	Sam Forstag	Matt Rains	Undecided
Tulchin Research (D)33A	March 28 – April 1, 2026	400 (LV)	–	35%	20%	13%	5%	27%

Democratic primary results¹⁴

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sam Forstag	25,854	37.3
	Democratic	Ryan Busse	22,952	33.1
	Democratic	Russell Cleveland	15,067	21.7
	Democratic	Matt Rains	5,476	7.9
Total votes			69,349	100.0

• Nick Sheedy (Libertarian)⁵
• Kimberly Persico (Independent)³⁴

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report35	Likely R	June 13, 2025
Inside Elections36	Likely R	March 12, 2026
Sabato's Crystal Ball37	Likely R	June 13, 2025
Race to the WH38	Tilt R	June 8, 2026

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Aaron Flint (R)	$677,089	$292,415	$384,674
Sam Forstag (D)	$694,570	$533,132	$161,437
Source: Federal Election Commission39

Post-primary endorsements

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample sizea	Margin of error	Aaron Flint (R)	Sam Forstag (D)	Undecided
Upswing Research (D)41B	April 30 – May 5, 2026	401 (LV)	± 4.9%	48%	43%	9%

2026 Montana's 1st congressional district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Aaron Flint
	Democratic	Sam Forstag
Total votes

2026 Montana's 2nd congressional district election

Nominee Troy Downing Brian Miller Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. Representative Troy Downing Republican

The 2nd district is based in eastern Montana, including Billings, Great Falls, and Helena. The incumbent is Republican Troy Downing, who was elected with 65.7% of the vote in 2024.²

• Troy Downing, incumbent U.S. representative⁴⁴

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Troy Downing (R)	$1,794,757	$1,512,717	$393,570
Source: Federal Election Commission46

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Troy Downing (incumbent)	81,764	100.0
Total votes			81,764	100.0

• Brian Miller, attorney⁴⁴

• Sam Lux, horse farrier⁴⁴
• Jonathan Windy Boy, state senator from the 16th district (2009–2017, 2025–present)⁴⁷

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Sam Lux (D)	$9,611	$8,845	$943
Brian Miller (D)	$15,220	$9,390	$1,821
Source: Federal Election Commission46

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Brian Miller	23,941	55.7
	Democratic	Sam Lux	11,683	27.2
	Democratic	Jonathan Windy Boy	7,379	17.2
Total votes			43,003	100.0

• Patrick McCracken⁴⁸

• Michael Eisenhauer, cardiologist⁴⁹

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Michael Eisenhauer (I)	$259,927	$124,165	$135,762
Source: Federal Election Commission46

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report35	Solid R	June 13, 2025
Inside Elections36	Solid R	June 13, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball37	Safe R	June 13, 2025
Race to the WH38	Safe R	September 26, 2025

Campaign finance reports as of May 13, 2026
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Troy Downing (R)	$1,794,757	$1,512,717	$393,570
Brian Miller (D)	$15,220	$9,390	$1,821
Source: Federal Election Commission39

2026 Montana's 2nd congressional district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Troy Downing (incumbent)
	Democratic	Brian Miller
Total votes

See also

See also

• 2026 Montana elections
• 2026 United States House of Representatives elections
• 2026 Montana House of Representatives election

Notes

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

Partisan clients

1. Poll sponsored by Busse's campaign
2. Poll sponsored by 314 Action
3. Poll conducted by Leadership in Action PAC, which supports Zinke

References

References

1. "2026 State Primary Election Dates". NCSL. May 9, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
2. "2024 House Vote Tracker". Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
3. Anchor, Bradley Warren NonStop Local (March 2, 2026). "Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke to retire, will not seek reelection". NonStop Local Billings. Congressman Ryan Zinke will not seek reelection for a fourth term in Montana's first Congressional District. The Republican who has had a storied career will make it official Monday as the filing deadline looms.
4. Warren, Bradley (March 2, 2026). "Conservative radio host Aaron Flint to run for Congress in Montana's first district". NonStop Local Montana. MontanaRightNow.com.
5. "FEDERAL PRIMARY 2026 Candidate List". candidatefiling.mt.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
6. Johnson, Brady (March 3, 2026). "Christi Jacobsen enters Montana Western Congressional District race". Retrieved March 3, 2026.
7. Drew, Micah (March 2, 2026). "Montana GOP candidates jump into race for western House district". Daily Montanan. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
8. Warren, Bradley (March 2, 2026). "Who's running for Congress in Montana? Here is what we know:". NonStop Local Montana. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
9. Eavis, Victoria (March 3, 2026). "Trump endorses Aaron Flint in Montana's western congressional primary race". The Independent Record. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
10. "NRCC Announces Addition of 8 Candidates to 'MAGA Majority' Program as GOP Expands 2026 Map". April 27, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
11. Eichholz, Jack (January 7, 2026). "2026 Endorsement Tracker". VoteHub. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
12. Drew, Micah (November 6, 2025). "Trump endorses Reps. Zinke, Downing for re-election". Daily Montanan. Missoula Current. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
13. "2026 Election United States House - Montana 1st". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
14. "Montana U.S. House Primary Election Live Results 2026". AP News. June 2, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
15. Woodall, Hunter (January 5, 2026). "Democrats are talking about a midterm blue wave. A Montana smokejumper could help make it a reality". CBS News. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
16. Drew, Micah (January 8, 2026). "Ryan Busse joins race to challenge Zinke for House seat". Daily Montanan. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
17. Brooks, Gary (May 6, 2025). "Letter to the editor: Russell Cleveland running for US House". Longview News-Journal. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
18. Eavis, Victoria (October 23, 2025). "Candidate field for U.S. House is shaping up as Democrat Matt Rains announces candidacy". The Independent Record. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
19. vlogbrothers (March 10, 2026). Is Hank Green Running for Congress?. Retrieved March 11, 2026 – via YouTube.
20. Kimbel-Sannit, Arren (April 27, 2026). "Four brands of Democrat make their case in Montana's western congressional primary". Montana Free Press. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
21. Thomas, Mariah (January 6, 2026). "Forstag Jumps into Democratic Primary for Western House District". Flathead Beacon. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
22. "LCV Action Fund Announces Endorsement for Ryan Busse for U.S. House in Montana's First District". LCV. May 12, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
23. "Ryan Busse Endorsements". Busseformontana.com. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
24. "Union Of American Physicians and Dentists Endorses Russell Cleveland for Montana's First Congressional District". UAPD. April 13, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
25. Eavis, Victoria (January 5, 2026). "Missoula Democratic smokejumper enters U.S. House race to unseat Rep. Zinke". Billings Gazette. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
26. Ambarian, Jonathon (April 29, 2026). "Primary 2026: Four Democratic candidates in race for western U.S. House nomination". KTVH. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
27. "Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC Endorses Sam Forstag for MT-01". February 26, 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
28. "Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Smokejumper and Union Leader Sam Forstag for U.S. Representative". AFGE. May 12, 2026. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
29. "Endorsements". Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
30. "NFFE Endorses Sam Forstag for Montana's First Congressional District". National Federation of Federal Employees. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
31. Bailey, Ernest (February 26, 2026). "Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC Endorses Sam Forstag for MT-01". Progressive Caucus. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
32. "Sam Forstag for Congress (MT-01)". Our Revolution. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
33. Busse, Ryan [@ryandbusse] (April 6, 2026). "Let's go win this thing!" (Tweet). Retrieved April 7, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
34. Wooden, Annie (February 12, 2026). "Hot Springs woman running for Congress". Sanders County Ledger. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
35. "2026 CPR House Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
36. "2026 House Ratings". Inside Elections.
37. "2026 House". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
38. "The 2026 House Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
39. "2026 Election United States House - Montana". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
40. "Tester endorses Forstag in Montana U.S. House race". KECI. NBC Montana. June 11, 2026. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
41. Svitek, Patrick [@PatrickSvitek] (May 13, 2026). "#MT01 Democratic primary: A memo on polling done for 314 Action, which hasn't endorsed, makes an electability pitch for Matt Rains over Sam Forstag" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
42. Drew, Micah (January 23, 2026). "Poll shows Zinke up on Busse, Forstag". Daily Montanan. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
43. Lutey, Tom (December 18, 2025). "The Poll...err Express". Montana Free Press. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
44. Ambarian, Jonathon (November 12, 2025). "Montana's Eastern Congressional District: Downing running, two Democrats file". KTVH-DT. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
45. "Thank You for Supporting Pro-Israel Candidates". Retrieved February 12, 2026.
46. "2026 Election United States House - Montana 2nd". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
47. Lloyd, Zeke (May 6, 2026). "Windy Boy restarts campaign for Montana's eastern U.S. House seat". Montana Free Press. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
48. "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1951987". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
49. Ambarian, Jonathon (January 2, 2026). "How 2026 is shaping up in Montana politics". KXLF. Retrieved January 2, 2026. Michael Eisenhauer, a cardiologist from Great Falls, has announced plans to run for the seat as an independent.

External links

External links

Official campaign websites for 1st district candidates

• Aaron Flint (R)
• Sam Forstag (D)
• Kimberly Persico (I)

Official campaign websites for 2nd district candidates

• Troy Downing (R)
• Mike Eisenhauer (I)
• Patrick McCracken (L)
• Brian Miller (D)