When President Donald Trump concludes a western campaign swing in scenic northwest Montana on Wednesday, he’s likely to make the same pitch he has in red states across the country: “Pretend I’m on the ballot.”
Whether that’s helpful to Republican candidates here is open for debate.
“I don’t expect much of an effect from it, and frankly, I think a lot of people are hurting across Montana from this administration’s policies,” said Sam Forstag, the Democratic House candidate in a district Trump won about by 11 points in 2024.
“I think there are a lot of people who don’t seem all too excited about it,” Forstag told CNN ahead of Trump’s visit. “I don’t see it being helpful.”
Unlike most of the states Trump has visited on his October campaign blitz, the Senate contest in Montana — where two candidates could fracture the liberal vote — is not his main focus.
Instead, it’s this House race in the Western district that is garnering national attention. The race pits Aaron Flint, a conservative radio host, against Forstag, a 32-year-old union leader and former Forest Service firefighter.
Once expected to be an easy GOP win in a reliably red district, the race has grown more competitive, mirroring national trends that have forced Republicans into defense across the country.
Flint has adopted a Trump-like “Make Montana Affordable Again” slogan and was encouraging supporters to attend Wednesday’s event.
But he’s also called for an end to the Iran war, which many voters blame for higher gas and fertilizer prices.
This part of Montana has also seen housing prices soar amid an influx of wealthy out-of-staters. Democrats have tried to seize on the anger, but skepticism of the party’s brand runs deep in this conservative enclave.
“I quite frankly understand why people are pissed at the Democratic Party,” Forstag said Wednesday. “They had four years in power, two years of unified control of all three branches of government, and they did not take the steps with the kind of urgency that was needed to actually improve our lives.”