Upswing Research
50%40%30%20%10%0%
43%
MT-01 Democratic nominee?
$83.7K
JUN 9, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleSmokejumper (wildland firefighter)
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age32 years old (May 23, 1994)
LocationMontana
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BackgroundSmokejumper (wildland firefighter)
EducationUniversity of Montana (attended)
Notable personal detailsSamuel Kelley Forstag is a Montana smokejumper (wildland firefighter) and union leader running as a Democrat for the U.S. House in Montana’s 1st Congressional District (MT-01) in 2026. He has worked for the U.S. Forest Service and has served as a union officer representing federal workers. He is based in Missoula and has also worked as an organizer and advocate on state legislative issues.
SourcesShowHide
fec.govdocquery.fec.govsamformontana.comen.wikipedia.orgprojects.montanafreepress.orgballotready.orgoctagonai.comontanademocrats.orgypradio.orgnews-usa.todaykulr8.comthepulp.orgpolymarket.comapnews.comreddit.comarxiv.orgnffe.orgdailymontanan.comktvq.commtpr.orgsmokejumpers.comthebench.orgcentralhousestrategies.comravdems.comflatheadbeacon.comscholarworks.umt.edutheorg.commontanarightnow.comliberalpatriot.compoliticalemails.orgcbsnews.comwashingtonpost.comnoticias.foxnews.comstatic.votesmart.orgzinke.house.govffacaucus-mann.house.govhistory.house.govdemocrats-transportation.house.govsteil.house.govhouse.govvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgnewdemocratcoalition.house.govziplook.house.govcdn.ballotpedia.orgcongress.gov
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Supports public funding for services and opposes tax cuts for the wealthy that would reduce funding for programs like Medicaid and public services. Emphasizes protecting public-sector workers and funding for education and higher education.
Healthcare
Supports making healthcare more affordable and expanding access, including addressing behavioral health funding and Medicaid reimbursement issues. Emphasizes that working families should be able to afford basic health insurance that actually provides care.
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Immigration & Border
Supports limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and emphasizes oversight and accountability for immigration authorities while framing immigration as not a local criminal crisis. Opposes mandatory local enforcement cooperation with ICE and highlights research showing immigrants are less likely to commit crimes.
Climate & Energy
The candidate emphasizes protecting public lands and federal land-management agencies and has spoken against proposed cuts to the U.S. Forest Service; public materials and press coverage highlight his experience as a smokejumper and union leader defending public lands and agency workers but do not lay out specific climate or energy policy proposals.
Polls
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Total raisedCash on hand
$694.6K
$520.9K
$347.3K
$173.6K
$0
2026
LatestYear
Total raised
Cash on hand
Total spent
Burn rate
Cycle 2026
$694.6K
$161.4K
$533.1K
$31.4K
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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