Democratic candidates for Montana’s western congressional district took center stage at Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Monday night.

Hosted by the “Beer, Buds and the Big Sky” podcast, the forum featured candidates Ryan Busse, Russ Cleveland, Sam Forstag and Matt Rains and drew an audience of about 300 people. Themes of wealth disparity and affordability dominated the conversation, as each of the congressional hopefuls pitched themselves as opposing Washington, D.C.’s political elite. 

“It’s poor and working people getting screwed while somebody is getting incredibly rich off of all these broken systems,” said Forstag, a former smoke jumper and union leader from Missoula. “And I’m running for Congress here in the western district because I am tired of having to trust that incredibly wealthy folks are going to look out for working people’s best interests.” 

The candidates highlighted rising housing costs, plateauing wages and recent cuts to federal social services as proof of a widening affordability crisis. They expressed support for reforms that increase tax rates and close financial loopholes for those in higher income brackets, and advocated for more social services like universal health care and child care.  

Money proved a more divisive topic when it came to campaign financing. While Busse, Cleveland and Forstag all reiterated pledges to forgo contributions from corporate-backed political action committees, Rains said he planned to take a different approach to fundraising. 

“We have to win, and to do that, we have to use the rules on the table,” said Rains. “I love if these guys aren’t going to take PAC money. I’ve got no problem with that. I’m going to do whatever it takes for all of Montana to make sure we win the goddamn race, period.”  

Pressed about his stance on the Montana Plan, an initiative to ban corporate spending in Montana elections that will likely appear on the 2026 ballot, Rains wavered further, telling moderators he generally favored campaign spending limits but needed to know more about the Montana Plan’s implementation before he fully endorsed it. The other three candidates expressed full support for the initiative. 

All four candidates expressed disapproval of the war in Iran and the handling of the Epstein files. They pledged to resist any efforts to privatize public lands.  

The forum ended with talk of mutual support among the candidates as they seek to flip a seat held by outgoing Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke. The race is considered the most competitive federal race in the state, making it Democrats’ best shot at representation in the coming congressional cycle. 

“Obviously, I believe that I could represent Montana in the best way, or I wouldn’t be in the race. However, I do have to give a shoutout to these guys,” said Cleveland in his closing remarks. “Anybody on this stage is head and shoulders above the representatives that we have right now.” 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].