Sam Forstag, a former union leader and smoke jumper, won western Montana’s House race, becoming the first Democrat elected to the House in the state in more than 30 years, according to The Associated Press, which called the race Thursday.

Forstag narrowly beat Aaron Flint, a conservative radio host running as a Republican who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“We aren’t just winning; we’re winning with authority, sending a message about what can happen when working people come together,” Forstag said to enthusiastic cheers Tuesday night at the Florence Building, an event space in Missoula, Montana.

“We can again be a state that bends the course of this country’s history for the better,” he added later.

More than 200 supporters, many in their 20s and 30s, attended the party. Some attendees noted that the crowd was far younger than what was typical at congressional election night parties in Montana.

Forstag campaigned as a progressive focused on lowering housing and healthcare costs, protecting public lands and giving working people a stronger voice in Washington. He gained high-profile endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., which Flint mocked, suggesting that their alliance proved how radically liberal and out of touch with Montanans he was.

Flint’s campaign emphasized his commitment to making Montana more affordable and countering a progressive agenda. But in the end, Forstag’s pro-labor message resonated more than Flint’s with the roughly 580,000 residents of the district.

Flint acknowledged Forstag’s victory in a social media post Wednesday morning.

“Before the race had been officially called last night, I placed a phone call to my opponent congratulating him on his win, and I also offered my assistance if ever needed,” he wrote.

Rep. Pat Williams, who died last year, was the last Democrat to hold a House seat, leaving it in 1997 after 18 years. In an interview, his daughter Whitney Williams noted similarities between Forstag and her father.

“I really think it’s exactly the same set of stuff that got my sweet dad elected in the ’70s,” she said. “It was electing a working person who was an insanely hard worker, who literally knocked on nearly every door in the district, who was authentic, who was a good listener, who led with compassion.” She also drew a connection between voter frustrations with Republicans in the post-Watergate era, when her father was first elected, and voter frustrations with Republicans connected to Trump.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Heather Murphy/Will Warasila
c. 2026 The New York Times Company