Sam Forstag, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Montana, has removed several high-profile endorsements from his campaign website. Notably absent are Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and a handful of other progressive lawmakers who were previously highlighted.
An archived version of Forstag’s site from June 9 displayed a “National Leaders” section featuring these lawmakers, including Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Robert Garcia (D-CA), and Lateefah Simon (D-CA).
However, between June 9 and August 28, this entire section vanished from the public view. The updated endorsements page now skips from “Former Montana Elected Officials” to “Organizations,” leaving out Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and the other national politicians.
Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez had endorsed Forstag’s campaign in the primary, with Ocasio-Cortez even appearing with him at a rally in Missoula.
Despite the website changes, Forstag’s campaign continues to reference these endorsements. A fundraising email sent on September 7 mentioned both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, asserting that they supported Forstag because he was a “progressive brawler.”
Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the NRCC, remarked that “Sam Forstag can scrub Bernie Sanders and AOC off his website,” but it doesn’t change his extensive history of lobbying for various left-leaning causes. He emphasized that attempts to rebrand the campaign won’t erase years of advocating for policies that, among other things, would increase taxes impacting working families in Montana.
Forstag’s professional background includes serving as a legislative program manager for the ACLU of Montana from December 2020 to May 2021. There, he focused on issues like criminal justice reform and voting rights, which entailed lobbying at the state Capitol and collaborating with various organizations.
From November 2021 to April 2024, he was a partner at Central House Strategies, where he claimed to advocate for policies favoring marginalized individuals. His projects involved groups such as Planned Parenthood of Montana and the Montana Food Bank Network, while he worked on issues like homelessness, public library funding, and eviction reforms.
The ACLU has supported reforms aimed at diminishing police power and has called for alternatives to cash bail. They’ve also promoted a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Forstag has publicly opposed some measures concerning transgender policies in Montana. In 2021, he expressed admiration for the LGBTQ community and criticized lawmakers for undermining minority groups, urging opposition to certain bills that would restrict transgender participation in sports and limit gender-transition medical procedures for minors. Additionally, he had previously spoken out against legislation that would enforce traditional bathroom usage based on biological sex.
Now, Forstag is running for Montana’s 1st Congressional District against Aaron Flint, a Republican who has military experience and is endorsed by President Donald Trump and retiring Representative Ryan Zinke. Flint has described his military service as a call to action in response to the September 11 attacks, and he has made remarks about Forstag’s political affiliations, framing him as a “far-left lobbyist” seeking to advance progressive agendas.
