Forstag flips Montana House seat, beating Trump-backed opponent

Democrat Sam Forstag is the projected winner of the election for Montana’s 1st District, a key flip in his party’s push to take control of the House, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Forstag, a former smokejumper and union leader, defeated Republican challenger Aaron Flint, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, in the race for the open seat — a district that the city of Missoula and covers the western portion of the state. The Democrat will replace retiring GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke.

The Democrat led Flint by over 10 percentage points with just 10 percent of the vote reported — 54 to 43 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ early Wednesday.

The win is a blow to Republicans, whom DDHQ favored to hold onto the seat ahead of Election Day. While most election handicappers forecasted the seat would likely remain in GOP hands, Cook Political Report changed the race to a “toss up” in mid-October, saying at the time the Democrat had “a clear shot” at snatching the seat — a forecast which proved correct.

President Trump won the district by 11 points in the last election.

The Democrat emphasized his working-class background and union leadership throughout the campaign trail, racking up endorsements from several labor groups. He also earned the backing of former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot (R).

Critics, however, slammed Forstag’s background as a lobbyist, with the conservative Leadership in Action PAC releasing an attack ad tying $249,000 in lobbying fees to his work in Washington.