DCCC and NRCC both target open seat in Montana's 1st Congressional District - Ballotpedia News
Sam Forstag (D), Aaron Flint (R), Nick Sheedy (L), and Kimberly Persico (I) are running in the general election for Montana's 1st Congressional District on Nov. 3, 2026. Incumbent Rep. Ryan Zinke (R) did not run for re-election. Forstag and Flint lead in polls, noteworthy endorsements, fundraising, and media attention.
Subsidiaries of the Democratic and Republican Parties identified this as a competitive election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identified it as a target district and named Forstag to its Red to Blue program, which provides support to candidates in Republican-held or open districts. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) named Flint to its MAGA Majority program, which provides support to candidates in Democratic-held or open districts.
One reason this district gained the attention of the DCCC and NRCC is ticket-splitting in the 2024 general elections for federal offices. In the presidential election, Donald Trump (R) defeated Kamal…