Sam ForstagSam Forstag

He believes housing costs in Montana have reached a crisis level. He will fight for federal investments in affordable housing construction and community-driven solutions so that working-class families aren’t priced out of the communities they live and work in.

At a time when working people are being crushed by rising housing costs, unaffordable healthcare, scarce childcare, and a political system dominated by corporate money, Sam Forstag is bringing something desperately needed to Congress: real working-class representation.

Bernie Sanders endorsed. Progressive change candidate.

For the first time, SEIU 775 Montana participated in the endorsement process for an open congressional seat. Our members interviewed four candidates over two evenings and emerged with an enthusiastic endorsement of union leader and smokejumper Sam Forstag for Montana’s First Congressional District.

After working his way through the University of Montana, Sam Forstag became a smokejumper with the Forest Service, eventually joining the union and becoming active in fighting for Montanans. Between fire season, Forstag organized for public education, libraries, healthcare, and constitutional freedoms. When Elon Musk tried to gut the Forest Service and public land agencies, Sam — Vice President of his union — pushed against the cuts. He has vowed to “fight to make sure Congress exercises its constitutional duties of oversight and war powers and ensure that we’re not rubber stamping billions in spending for wars that we don’t want or need. I’ll also fight to pass the Audit the Pentagon Act. When people at home are struggling to afford the basics, we should be investing in helping Americans meet their basic needs at home, not dropping more bombs overseas.”

Signed The AI PACT, the Political Integrity Project's five-point pledge: end data center tax breaks and backroom deals, require independent safety review of every major AI model before release, create an AI dividend sharing gains with displaced workers, make AI companies legally accountable for harms, and refuse taxpayer bailouts for AI firms. Moderate on AI safety and regulation, strong on data center opposition, moderate public voice on AI.