Sam Forstag
American political candidate and smokejumper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sam Forstag (born May 23, 1994) is an American labor union leader and former smokejumper who is the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2026 election for Montana's 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[1][2][3][4] He will face Republican Party nominee Aaron Flint and Libertarian Party nominee Nick Sheedy.[5] The winner will replace incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke.[6][7]
.jpg)
Sam Forstag | |
|---|---|
| |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1994 Ohio, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Susie Lee (aunt) |
| Education | University of Montana (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Forstag was born in Ohio,[8] and raised mostly by a single mother who worked as an ICU nurse in Portland, Oregon.[9] He moved to Montana in 2012,[8] and worked multiple jobs to pay for his undergraduate education at the University of Montana, where he studied philosophy and political science, and was elected student body president.[9][10] After graduating in 2017, he took a job as a wildland firefighter in order to pay off student loan debt, intending to apply to law school.[9] Instead he served as a wildland firefighter for eight years, including four years as a smokejumper.[5][11] During the off seasons, he worked as an organizer and lobbyist for the Montana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and for Central House Strategies where he represented the city of Missoula.[11] In 2025, he became Vice President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 60, where he represents around 800 U.S. Forest Service workers.[9][12]
Forstag's Congressional campaign has focused on protecting public land, alongside economic issues such as housing and health care affordability.[1][13][14] He has been endorsed by union groups and national progressive leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[15][16][17] Forstag has also been endorsed by Representative Susie Lee, who is his aunt.[12]