'People over party': Democrat Sam Forstag opens up on donating to GOP candidates

Smokejumper and union leader Sam Forstag is the only Montana U.S. 1st Congressional District candidate to personally contribute money to an opposing party campaign within the past four years.

Forstag donated to four Republican campaigns: $100 to Michele Binkley for the House in 2024, a matching contribution to Wayne Rusk for the state senate, and $50 to Kenneth Bogner for the U.S. House the same year, and $70 to Geraldine Custer for her state Senate bid in 2022.

Each lost their primary bids. Binkley and Custer refused to tow the party line on certain legislation. The GOP officially rebuked Binkley, accusing her of Democratic ties during her second nomination attempt this year.

“The through-line is a willingness to stand up regardless of party for working people,” Forstag told the Chronicle last week. “I think most Montanans’ desire is to see prioritization of people over party, principles before the letter ‘R’ or ‘D’. We need to get back to prioritizing issues and integrity.”

Forstag contributed to five Democratic House and Senate campaigns, including six same-party political action committees during the same timeframe, according to the Campaign Electronic Reporting System, a public access search site for Montana candidate and committee financial information, and the Federal Election Commission.

Less than two months remain before the June 2 primary. Forstag seeks to differentiate himself from Democratic challengers rancher and businessman Russell Cleveland, veteran photographer and rancher Matt Rains, and former firearms executive, author, and gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse.

After the primary, the winner goes against Ray Curtis, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, or veteran firebrand radio host Aaron Flint in the November general election.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic Socialist, endorsed Forstag in January.

It takes both Democrats and Republicans, specifically leaders who bucked party dogma, to foster active debate and achieve policy aligned with voter sensibilities, Forstag said.

Elected in 2020, Binkley represented House District 85 encompassing Darby. After redistricting, Binkley, who supported bipartisan legislation led by Democrats, including affordable-housing abatements and a grant funding program supporting homeless care, ran on a common-sense, constitutional ideals re-election platform.

“Michelle demonstrated immense courage when it comes to healthcare and standing up for homeless shelters and the unhoused population,” Forstag said.

Binkley lost the primary nomination to Kathy Love in 2024.

Love was backed by the Montana Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers pushing party leadership rightward on fiscal and social issues. Known for its hardline tactics and willingness to challenge Republican leadership, the group seeks to limit government spending and increase the influence of rank-and-file members

Love supported legislation to restrict bathroom use to defined male or female sex and voiced support of legislation that could have banned the use of COVID 19 vaccines and other mRNA inoculations.

Binkley is running again, according to her campaign site.

The Missoula GOP accused Binkley’s campaign manager of being an ex-Democratic Party chairperson in March. The state GOP passed a resolution rebuking Binkley and other Republicans for working with “progressive out-of-state billionaires” on April 1.

“She spent many years working as a waitress in the Bitterroot,” Forstag said. “She genuinely knows what it’s like to be a person working her tail off to get by. It reminds me of my own mother working her ass off as a nurse.”

Rusk is a pro-life, staunch Second Amendment supporter and advocate for “responsible” forestry. Rusk, who lost the state senate primary to Theresa Manzella in 2024, served HD 88 from 2023 to 2025. He is running for re-election in the House.

“Wayne is someone who stood up for constitutional principals,” Forstag said. “He’s a man who can quote our state and federal constitution to you line and verse.”

Rusk’s in-laws are Forstag’s neighbors.

“When it comes to abortion access, that is somewhere Wayne and I disagree,” Forstag said. “There’s quite a bit we do not agree on just like myself and Michelle, but I very much appreciate a man with Wayne’s candor and integrity who is willing to stand up.”

Custer said in 2021 she felt then-failed legislation preventing doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors “flew in the face” of conservative ideals of liberty and self-determination. Custer’s vote was key with Republicans joining Democrats to vote down the controversial policy 49-51, according to the Daily Montanan.

Custer also lost her primary election in her Senate bid to Barry Usher. Custer served HD 39 encompassing the Billings Heights area from 2015 to 2023. She left the House to run against Usher.

A previous elections administrator, Custer was against legislation eliminating election day registration, per Forstag. At the time proponents of the law said it was necessary to help small election staff in smaller counties. The Montana Supreme Court struck down the law in 2024.

“Gerry is someone who stood up for voting access and for voter rights in times when it wasn’t easy,” Forstag said. “When Christi Jacobsen made it her mission to roll back voter access with things like (eliminating election day) voter registration, Gerry knew what the on-the-ground impact was for rural Montanans.

Forstag also donated $50 via WinRed, an online Republican fundraising platform to a hybrid political action committee in 2024. The funds were earmarked for Bogner's U.S. House race.

Bogner lost the primary to current congressman Troy Downing, but later won a separate campaign for the 18th District, encompassing eastern Billings, Forsyth and Miles City. He supports a conservative slate of healthcare issues, including making reproductive rights an issue for individual states to determine.

As a state senator from the 19th District from 2019 to 2025, Bogner passed a bill preventing the Montana government from using facial recognition to spy on its citizens, an election integrity law subjecting all voting precincts to post-election audits, and bipartisan legislation preventing foreign adversaries like China from owning farmland and key infrastructure.

“That is what all of this is about. I think everyone sees things are not going the way they need to. I spared $100 when I could. We are not far off from having Montana leaders who know how to reach across the aisle, engage on civil discourse, and stand on principle.”