Sam Forstag

Sam Forstag (born May 23, 1994) is a labor union leader and former smokejumper who is the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2026 election for Montana's 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.¹²³⁴ He will face Republican Party nominee Aaron Flint and Libertarian Party nominee Nick Sheedy.⁵ The winner will replace incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke.⁶⁷

Forstag grew up in Portland, Oregon, and was raised mostly by a single mother who worked as an ICU nurse.⁸ He worked multiple jobs to pay for his undergraduate education at the University of Montana, where he studied philosophy and political science, and was elected student body president.⁸⁹ After graduating in 2017, he took a job as a wilderness firefighter in order to pay off student loan debt, intending to apply to law school.⁸ Instead he served as a wilderness firefighter for eight years, including four years as a smokejumper.⁵¹⁰ During the off seasons, he worked as an organizer and lobbyist for the Montana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and for Central House Strategies where he represented the city of Missoula.¹⁰ In 2025, he became Vice President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 60, where he represents around 800 U.S. Forest Service workers.⁸¹¹

Forstag's Congressional campaign has focused on protecting public land, alongside economic issues such as housing and health care affordability.¹¹²¹³ He has been endorsed by union groups and national progressive leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶ Forstag has also been endorsed by Representative Susie Lee, who is his aunt.¹¹