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U.S. House · open seat · All Montana races

Montana District 1

Toss-upCould flip · R → D
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Republicans hold this seat today (current holder); Democrats have a real chance: 46 in 100 that it changes hands.

Sam Forstag
Democratic
46 in 100
50–50chance of winning, out of 100
Aaron Flint
Republican
54 in 100

Aaron Flint wins in 54 of 100 simulations.

The polling average has Aaron Flint +0.7 across 1 poll; partisan lean, the national environment and incumbency point to Aaron Flint +0.0. Polls get 52% of the weight 15 days out.

Where the result could land

Every simulated outcome, grouped in 2-point steps. Projected margin Flint +0.4; 80 in 100 fall between Flint +5.4 and Forstag +4.6.

Flint +30Flint +20Flint +10Forstag +10Forstag +20Forstag +30Tie

The candidates

Aaron Flint
Republican

The 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Montana, one from each of the state's congressional districts. Wikipedia

Raised
$2.6M
Cash on hand
$1.0M
Through 2026-09-30
Sam Forstag
Democratic · American political candidate and smokejumper

Sam Forstag is an American labor union leader and former smokejumper who is the Democratic Party nominee in the 2026 election for the Montana 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Wikipedia

Raised
$3.7M
Cash on hand
$856K
Through 2026-09-30
Nick Sheedy
Libertarian

Ballot list and short bios from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); websites from Wikidata; fundraising from the FEC (cycle-to-date, latest report).

What if this race flips? Try it in the map builder →

Polls

The polling average stands at Flint +0.7 across 1 poll testing Sam Forstag against Aaron Flint.

Forstag +4.3 over the past 6 months
Flint +20Flint +10EvenForstag +10Forstag +20Jun 1Jul 1Aug 1Sep 1Oct 1

Line: weighted average after adjustments; band: 95% range of the average; dots: individual polls after adjustments.

PollsterDatesSampleResultAdjustedWeight
American Pulse Research & PollingC
for KULR-TV
Sep 19–Sep 24314 LVFlint +0.5Flint +0.70.25
Upswing Research · DEM sponsor
for 314 Action
Apr 30–May 5401 LVFlint +5.0Flint +2.30.00

Chance of winning over time

How this race’s odds have moved as polls and the national environment changed.

Forstag +22 over the past 3 months
020406080100Aug 1Sep 1Oct 1

Out of 100. Today: Forstag 46, Flint 54.

What’s driving the forecast

The model blends each estimate by how much to trust it right now. Polls get 52% of the weight, 15 days out.

Polling average (after adjustments)Flint +0.7±7.8 sampling range; effective 1 polls
Partisan lean (Cook PVI, 2026 lines) R+5.0roughly 10 points of margin vs. the nation
National environment D+9.6generic ballot + presidential approval
Incumbencynoneopen seat or incumbent not on ballot
Fundamentals estimateFlint +0.0±6 typical error
Expert ratings (average)—used only in the “+ Expert ratings” version
ForecastFlint +0.4±4.0 standard deviation, including 2.3 for movement before Election Day

All three versions

  • Polls only: Sam Forstag 45 in 100 (Toss-up)
  • Polls + fundamentals: Sam Forstag 46 in 100 (Toss-up)
  • Polls + fundamentals + experts: Sam Forstag 46 in 100 (Toss-up)

Rules and notes

  • Incumbent retiring

House races, closest first · this is #3 of 421