Two candidates for Montana’s Western District U.S. House seat — Republican Aaron Flint and Democrat Sam Forstag — debated in Missoula Tuesday morning, exactly three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election. The debate, produced by Montana Free Press and NonStop Local, was hosted by NonStop Local’s Ben Wineman and moderated by MTFP political reporter Tom Lutey and NonStop Local reporter and anchor Bradley Warren. Libertarian candidate Nick Sheedy did not participate in the debate, but also appears on the ballot.
The debate lasted an hour. Candidates answered questions on a range of topics, from rural healthcare to data centers.
HOW DID THE CANDIDATES PORTRAY THEMSELVES?
Both candidates portrayed themselves as blue-collar Montanans trying to help lower costs for working people. Flint advocated broad tax relief and suspension of the federal gas tax. He also pushed for reducing regulation and expanding trade education. Forstag focused on government oversight of data center and artificial intelligence companies. He also promoted federal investment in healthcare and congressional checks on presidential authority.
Flint highlighted his nearly two decades as a radio host “fighting for you behind the microphone on local radio,” emphasizing his identity as a fifth-generation Montanan, veteran, and “everyday Montana kid.”
“I joined the military to eventually pay for college. I had to wait tables to get myself through college,” Flint said.
Forstag talked about growing up with a mother who worked long shifts and, “on top of everything else, managed to coach my basketball team in middle school.” He also said he’s worked for the last two years as a union leader.
“I spent the last eight years as a wildland firefighter — as a smokejumper — jumping out of airplanes to put out wildfires on our public lands,” Forstag said.
HOW DID THE CANDIDATES TRY TO DEFINE EACH OTHER?
Each candidate argued that his opponent isn’t blue-collar at all, isn’t being candid with voters, and is aligned with backers who are out of step with Montana’s political and economic landscape.
After many of Flint’s answers, Forstag accused him of using “empty” rhetoric and dodging moderators’ questions. Flint repeatedly called Forstag a “paid lobbyist” and said the Democrat is working to import socialist politics into western Montana.
“He had Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here in May, and now he will act like he never even met her,” Flint said early in the debate.
“I ain’t pretending a thing,” Forstag responded before Flint cut back in. The two talked over each other for half a minute.
About 10 minutes later, Forstag alleged that Flint is in the pocket of data center companies, a recurring line of attack for the Democrat. When Forstag asked Flint to pledge he wouldn’t allow data centers on public lands, Flint turned the tables.
“I’d like a pledge from you: do you oppose data centers?” Flint said. The two continued to talk over each other until host Ben Wineman cut to a scheduled commercial break.
“We’re having a lot of fun this morning,” Wineman said before the transition.
WHAT DID THE CANDIDATES AGREE ON?
Both candidates emphasized their wariness about data centers. Both also pushed for revitalizing western Montana’s timber industry, supported a quick end to the war in Iran, opposed corporations buying up residential homes, and pledged to ban stock trading by members of Congress.
But more often than not, tensions remained high even when the candidates appeared to agree. Sparks flew, for instance, about the issue of public lands. The term came up about 20 times during the debate.
“I will fight to keep public lands in public hands,” Flint said, pledging support for U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s Public Lands in Public Hands Act.
“‘Public lands in public hands,’ that doesn’t mean anything,” Forstag said.
Both candidates said they want to maintain public access to public lands and increase timber harvesting.
HOW DID THE NATIONAL PARTIES REACT?
The narratives promoted by the candidates’ party proxies couldn’t have been more different.
“Socialist lobbyist Sam Forstag was exposed as a mouthpiece for Bernie Sanders and AOC’s socialist agenda that would jack up costs, crush Montana jobs, and put Washington bureaucrats in charge of Montanans’ lives,” Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the NRCC, wrote in a statement distributed shortly after the debate ended. “Aaron Flint is an Army veteran fighting to lower costs, strengthen Montana’s mining and timber industries, and protect good-paying jobs. Forstag can slap a Montana label on his socialist garbage, but Montanans know a con job when they see one.”
“Montanans saw a clear contrast today: an independent, Montana-first leader in smokejumper and union leader Sam Forstag, versus political insider Aaron Flint who fights for the corrupt, out-of-state special interests who are propping up his campaign,” Lindsay Reilly, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, wrote in a statement. “Once again, Forstag proved he is focused on the issues that matter to voters, like lowering costs, ending corruption, and working across the aisle to get things done for Montanans. While Flint shouts into a void defending his reckless, cost-hiking agenda that’s crushing working families, Forstag is making it clear that he is the leader Western Montana deserves.”
The candidates had not hesitated to distance themselves from party orthodoxy when asked how their views differ from their national party platforms.
“My national party, the Democrats, they’ve failed on so many levels,” Forstag said, before claiming that both parties have disappointed Montanans.
Flint said he is “disgusted by what the Democrat party did to this country.”
“But I’m frustrated that Republicans aren’t doing enough either,” he said.
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