Sam Forstag projected to win Democratic primary in Montana's 1st District

Democrat Sam Forstag won his party's superior successful Montana's 1st Congressional District connected Tuesday, CBS News projects. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the House contention arsenic apt Republican, but Democrats judge they person a accidental to flip the unfastened spot successful November arsenic they effort to retake the bulk for the last 2 years of President Trump's 2nd term. 

The spot is presently held by GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke, who announced his retirement successful aboriginal March, citing wellness issues from his clip arsenic a Navy SEAL arsenic the driving origin for his decision. Zinke said helium risked missing votes successful the aboriginal arsenic helium recovers from aesculapian treatment. 

Zinke archetypal represented Montana successful Congress opening 2015, taking a hiatus from 2017 to 2019 to pb the Department of Interior during President Trump's archetypal term. He resigned from the Cabinet relation amid morals investigations. He ran again for Congress successful 2022, beating his Democratic hostile by 3 percent points. In a rematch successful 2024, helium accrued his pb to astir 8 percent points. 

If Forstag wins the House contention successful November, it would beryllium the archetypal clip successful 30 years that a Democrat has represented Montana successful the little chamber. 

"The mode you triumph an predetermination successful this state, and I really deliberation the mode you really person immoderate way to triumph for the nationalist party, is A: you triumph backmost moving people, right?" Forstag told CBS News successful an interrogation earlier this year.  

"We've got to triumph backmost national members similar me, who person felt similar some parties person abandoned them. And we request to triumph backmost young radical who consciousness similar successful a spot similar Western Montana, you've got a generation, oregon 2 generations of radical that can't adjacent conceive of ever owning a location successful this state." 

Forstag, a smokejumper and national leader, had the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest national worker union, besides endorsed Forstag. 

Ocasio-Cortez campaigned with Forstag successful the last days of the campaign. 

"When thing is burning successful this state, Sam runs towards the fire. That's the benignant of idiosyncratic helium is, and that's the benignant of idiosyncratic we person the accidental to nonstop to Congress," she said astatine a run rally successful Missoula connected Thursday. 

Forstag's superior challengers were erstwhile firearms institution enforcement Ryan Busse, Navy seasoned and rancher Russ Cleveland and Army seasoned and rancher Matt Rains.