MONTANA — Sam Forstag, a 32-year-old former smokejumper and union vice-president, is running as the Democratic candidate for Montana’s first congressional district in the November midterm election. His campaign centers on federal workforce cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency and the record of retiring incumbent Ryan Zinke.

Forstag served as vice-president of the National Federation of Federal Employees union and worked as a smokejumping for eight fire seasons. He grew up in North Portland, Oregon, and later in Montana, where his mother worked as an intensive care nurse. Forstag attended a Catholic high school on a scholarship before entering college.

In 2013, Sam Forstag was a college student working three jobs, including making sandwiches at a Subway inside a Walmart. "I remember thinking, ‘I should stop – but I don’t have time,’" Forstag said. "There are a lot of people in this country who don’t have the time. It’s much harder to extend the kind of compassion your neighbors deserve when you’re working three jobs just to get by." He recalled being a nine-year-old who was worried that his mother was working too much.

The Department of Government Efficiency oversaw reductions in the federal workforce that affected smokejumpers and other federal wildland firefighters in Montana. According to Montana Public Radio, these actions led to the loss of about a quarter of the Forest Service workforce in Montana. The official record states that about a quarter of the Forest Service workforce in Montana was affected by the Department of Government Efficiency cuts.

Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency after returning to the White House in 2025. The department was established by executive order on January 20, 2025, and ceased operation on July 4, 2026.

Forstag criticized the response from Ryan Zinke, who is the retiring incumbent for Montana’s first congressional district. "I was pissed off at [retiring incumbent] Ryan Zinke when he was holding his seat," Forstag said. "When we were going through those cuts, we reached out to him time after time. And I got crickets. That’s a failure of representation. Meanwhile, that guy got $20m richer while sitting in office." Ryan Zinke’s financial disclosures showed wealth accumulation while holding public office.

During his tenure as interior secretary from March 2017 to January 2019, Zinke faced 18 federal investigations. These inquiries included real estate dealings in his home town.

Forstag described the personal risk involved in leaving his career to run for office. "I have to leave the only retirement I’ve got, that I’ve been building," he said. "And leaving behind the only healthcare I have. I have to leave the only career I’ve got to risk it all on this." He stated that he woke up in the morning and decided to do it.

Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Forstag’s congressional campaign. His campaign headquarters is located in his 900-square-foot house in Missoula, Montana.

Why It Matters

Sam Forstag is the Democratic Party nominee in the 2026 election for the Montana 1st Congressional District seat. He will face Republican Party nominee Aaron Flint and Libertarian Party nominee Nick Sheedy in the election. The race shows the impact of federal workforce reductions on local communities and federal employees in Montana.

The Department of Government Efficiency is a US government organization and initiative that operated briefly in 2025 and 2026. Its actions resulted in staffing changes within the Forest Service, directly affecting workers like Forstag. The election serves as a referendum on the handling of these cuts and the conduct of the retiring incumbent.

Timeline

The Department of Government Efficiency was established by executive order on January 20, 2025, and ceased operation on July 4, 2026.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that Sam Forstag, a smokejumper and union vice-president, is directly affected by the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, which led to the loss of about a quarter of the Forest Service workforce in Montana.

Further details identify Sam Forstag as an American political candidate and smokejumper. The Department of Government Efficiency is a US government organization and initiative. In the upcoming election, Sam Forstag will face Republican Party nominee Aaron Flint and Libertarian Party nominee Nick Sheedy.