Butte's Mother Lode Theatre to host Democratic western congressional debate

Butte's Mother Lode Theatre is set to a host a debate Tuesday evening between the Democratic candidates vying for Montana's western congressional district, a race that has heated up in recent weeks.

All four candidates — Ryan Busse, Russ Cleveland, Sam Forstag and Matt Rains — in the crowded primary will take the stage for a two hour debate starting at 6 p.m. The event is by Mullen Newspaper Company and organized by the Butte-Silver Bow Democratic Central Committee.

The four Democrats have spent the last couple months introducing themselves to voters, largely without attacking each other or taking steps to really set themselves apart from the pack.

But during the Montana Democrats' annual fundraiser on Saturday, the four men made strides in differentiating themselves.

The annual Democratic fundraiser is meant to be an opportunity for candidates to pitch themselves to Democratic elected officials, operatives, consultants and donors. For Cleveland, that meant criticizing the entire political establishment and the "insiders" that make up the establishment.

He said one of the major life events that spurred him to enter politics was his experience with the healthcare system as his 13-year-old daughter died of Leukemia.

"When you sit in that hospital room, you learn something quickly, an unpopular truth, families like mine don't have a PAC funding them," he said on Saturday. "They don't have lobbyists fighting for them. They don't get endorsements or invites to fancy galas. All they have is one vote."

"We work to keep food on the tables of our consultants, but not our constituents," he later added.

Forstag, a former smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service and progressive lobbyist, told attendees that he would be the candidate to give working class people representation in D.C. As a union leader and former federal employee, he has continually ragged on the Trump Administration for laying off hundreds of his fellow public employees at the start of 2025. He also made a point on Saturday that he is the youngest candidate in a field.

"I would offer that a new generation of leadership is precisely what this moment demands,” he told the crowd.

Busse, however, took the opposite side of that argument, saying that what is needed in this moment is experience.

"Right now, we need experience and grit more than we've ever needed it," Busse said at the fundraiser. "Everything we care about is on the line, and I'm in it to win it."

Busse, a former firearms executive, lost to Gov. Greg Gianforte in the general election for governor in 2024. He has positioned himself as a fighter, and the one of the most outspoken against Trump and other Republicans.

"Someone has to stand up to national leadership and fight for universal health care like we need it," Busse said. "Someone has to stand up to billionaires who want to pave this state over and make us one great big data center. I'll do it."

Rains has consistently said that he is the candidate who can beat the Republican, and that is why voters should back him. He said he plans to do that bringing in voters from across the political divide, often mentioning that much of his family is Republican.

"Our number one policy priority has to be winning this race," he said.

Radio host Aaron Flint, Dr. Al Olszewski launch bids after Rep. Ryan Zinke bows out

Montana’s western congressional district is one of the most competitive and closely watched races in the state this cycle, and that became even more true after incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke unexpectedly announced that he would not run for reelection.

With Zinke's exit, he opened the field to lesser-known Republicans, which Democrats say give them a clearer path forward to victory.

There is still a lot to be learned about this district. It was newly created following the 2020 census, meaning that it has only been on the ballot twice. And while it includes the liberal population centers of Missoula, Butte and Bozeman, it has only ever been held by Zinke, who had previously held Montana's at-large congressional district.

Admissions is free to the event, but a can for the local food bank or a donation to the Mother Lode Theatre is encouraged. Doors will open at 5 p.m. The first half will consist of questions from the moderators, which will be followed by time for questions from the audience.

This event is not set to be formally streamed for those who are not attending in person. The theatre has a capacity of 1,300 people.