'Betrayal is building': Democratic challenger Ryan Busse blasts Montana GOP candidate reshuffle

What happens when 1st Congressional District Republican contender Aaron Flint and Democratic challenger Ryan Busse walk into a bar?

The Montana punchline played out with the veteran talk show radio personality and former firearms executive Sunday. They found themselves at the same Butte bar campaigning the night before the city's St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

"After that Tuesday in November brother, we're gonna have some representation finally and ain't gonna be you," Busse said, shaking Flint's hand and palming him a business card.

"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival played in the background of the video of an unlikely encounter Busse posted on Facebook.

Busse, in a visit to the Chronicle on Wednesday, said he believes Flint's high-profile endorsements from President Donald Trump and current Congressman Ryan Zinke make him more likely to come out on top after the Republican June 2 primary. Flint, who met with the Chronicle last week, is facing primary challenges from Ray Curtis, Albert Olszewski and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen.

Busse faces his own primary challengers in smoke-jumper Sam Forstag and ranchers Russell Cleveland and Matt Rains.

"It seems like the Republican establishment decided who their candidate is going to be," Busse said of Flint. "I'm proud to be a part of a party who trusts its voters to pick its candidates. This idea a chosen inteligencia at the top of the party can tell the entirety who their candidate is gonna be, that's pretty low-down."

Both the nonpartisan American political website 270toWin and the Cook Political Report newsletter rank midterms as a toss-up whether Republicans keep a majority in the U.S. House. Cook atings from March 10 classify the 1st Congressional District election as “likely” safe for Republicans.

Flint is not the only candidate in the race with a high-level endorsement. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic Socialist, endorsed Forstag in January.

Democrats have not gained congressional representation in Montana since 1994. Busse received 39% of the vote to 59% from incumbent Greg Gianforte in the 2024 race for governor.

The election field changed dramatically from when Busse last met the Chronicle one-on-one in January. He no longer potentially faces an incumbent after Zinke’s surprise announcement he’s not running for re-election, instead backing Flint.

Days later Sen. Steve Daines sent shockwaves across Washington and Montana when he announced he also isn't seeking re-election.

"For those of us in Montana politics we think (the state) is the center of the universe, but for awhile there, for about seven days, it was," Busse said.

Sen. Tim Sheehy's involvement in a viral physical altercation to remove protester and Green Party North Carolina Senate candidate Brian McGinnis from a Senate hearing occurred on the same day as Daines' announcement. McGinnis contends his arm was broken during the struggle.

"I was embarrassed about the way Sen. Sheehy handled that protester," Busse said. "Voters in Montana desire a government that makes them proud. I wasn't very proud of our government when Sheehy did that."

Critics on both sides of the aisle, including Busse, say the maneuvers from Zinke and Daines subvert a competitive election process. Busse shifted the focus from a chance meeting with his rival to a broader reality that the election is likely to be anything but boring.

"I suspect a major part of the reason Zinke dropped out is no one likes to lose elections," Busse said. "It's elevated the race to a higher national spotlight. It's probably put an extra spark in (Democrats), because I think the race is even more winnable now, and we felt like it was winnable before."

Soundbites from Flint's radio show Montana Talks’ attacking immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ people and other fellow Republicans are garnering renewed focus after his candidacy. More than 50 episodes included references to 'illegal aliens', a main focus, per a Daily Montanan article analyzing some of the show's more divisive commentary.

"It's hard for me to think of an individual in this state who has done more to espouse hatred, conspiracy, dangerous bad ideas than Aaron Flint three hours a day for years," Busse said. "If there's anything that I think Montana voters are over it is that."

Busse recalled appearing on Flint's show three times.

"(Flint's) positions are clear and (out) in the open on his radio program," Busse said. "(Flint) should be called to defend all the things he's espoused all those years. His whole gig is lobbing culture war bombs to get people distracted from the real issues. The voters I talk to are not distracted."

Iran

"One thing has changed, the Iran war," Busse said. "I didn't realize we are going to be into another foreign war and here we are."

Trump green-lighting the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei via a joint Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran didn’t start a war, but is ending pre-existing issues, according to Flint. News emerged last week that Kamenei’s successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was likely wounded and disfigured, per Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"Instigating a war of choice that's likely to drive fuel prices through the roof, and has already killed the fertilizer market at a time when farmers need (it)," Busse said. "I respect the power and effectiveness of our military, but we owe it to our nation and to those military members to be thoughtful before we get into war.

Farmers in the U.S. are bracing for even higher fertilizer prices as conflict in the Middle East impacts the globally traded commodity, according to the National Corn Growers Association.

We have the very real possibility that because of the lack of planning of the (Trump) administration, this extends into some humanitarian nightmare that puts U.S. troops if not hundreds of thousands (or) millions of Iranian citizens into disaster. I don't blame republicans at all if they feel betrayed by an administration and a party that lied to them."

Mining

"There’s places where we’re ready to mine,” Flint told the Chronicle, referencing projects in Libby as well as Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties.

A copper mine south of Libby is in the exploration and permitting phase. The project, located beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, is undergoing environmental review for further exploration.

The historic, highly toxic Zonolite vermiculite mine near Libby is permanently closed and remains a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site.

Sibanye Stillwater, the mine’s South African parent company with locations in Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties, laid off 700 of its Montana workers in the fall of 2024. The mine’s bottom line took a hit after Russian producers sold palladium in the U.S. below market value during the country’s invasion of Ukraine, crashing the mineral market.

"There are some places that are too special for big extractive industrial operations," Busse said. "If we're going to consider large-scale extractive operations, I am not knee-jerk opposed to those, but we have also as a county, placed common-sense regulations upon ourselves to make sure the abuses and damages of the past don't occur.

"Trump, Daines, Zinke, and Mr. Flint are all in favor of (mine regulation) fast-tracking. Now is not the time to weaken or jump over environmental and conservation regulations."

"I don't intend to lose," added Busse, when asked what would most likely cause a Democratic loss. "The future of the state depends on me winning. If it's me and Flint you'd better get your notepad ready."