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Montana Free Press

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Montana Free Press is an independent, non-profit source for in-depth Montana news, information, and analysis.

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Aaron Flint, the Republican candidate for Montana’s Western District U.S. House seat, spent years “fighting behind the microphone” as a conservative talk radio host. Now, the Republican candidate is asking Western Montana voters to send him to Congress.

Flint’s campaign centers on the argument that big government and federal overreach threaten Montana’s way of life. His positions span public lands, wildlife, health care, abortion and immigration.

He’s facing Democrat Sam Forstag in the state’s most competitive congressional race, with recent polls showing the candidates in a statistical tie.

✏️ Tom Lutey/MTFP
📸 Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America I'm sorry, I can't identify or describe individuals in images. by @mtfreepress

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President Donald Trump announced plans for a new military testing facility in Montana, dubbed a “super range,” during a campaign rally in Kalispell on Wednesday.

The proposed range would test advanced military technologies, including autonomous weapons, space and electronic warfare systems, and hypersonic weapons.

Trump did not specify where the facility would be located, how much it would cost or when testing would begin.

🔗 Read more at the link in our bio.

✏️ Matt Hudson/MTFP
📸 Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America by @mtfreepress

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President Donald Trump, on tour to motivate voter turnout in hotly contested midterm elections, rallied in Kalispell to praise Republican candidate Aaron Flint and bash his Democratic opponent. The president is stumping for candidates across the country ahead of Nov. 3.

Turnout could be a key to the race. Election results over the course of several cycles show that midterm turnout in Flathead County for a U.S. House race is only 72% of turnout in a presidential election year.

Outgoing incumbent Western District Congressman Ryan Zinke, for example, received 40,681 votes in the 2024 presidential election year, compared with 29,290 votes in the 2022 midterm.

✏️ Zeke Lloyd / MTFP
📸 @laurenmiller.jpg / MTFP/CatchLight Local/Report for America by @mtfreepress

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With the 2026 midterm election three weeks away and absentee ballots mailed to voters Oct. 9, we asked the state’s candidates for federal office how they would address the issue of immigration. Here’s what they said.

✏️ Zeke Lloyd / MTFP
📸 Lauren Miller / MTFP / CatchLight Local / Report for America by @mtfreepress

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Voting in Montana? We’ve got you covered! 🗳️

MTFP’s 2026 Election Guide can help you learn about the candidates, races and essential coverage so you can fill out your ballot with confidence. It’s your one-stop resource for making an informed decision.

We’ve packed it full of helpful tools and resources, including candidate questionnaires, campaign finance overviews and answers to common voting questions, all in one convenient place.

Here’s a quick virtual tour. After you watch, you can explore the full guide at the link in our bio.

📹 Mara Silvers + Chelsea Hogan/MTFP by @mtfreepress

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In the second debate between the Republican and Democratic Western Congressional District candidates, Aaron Flint and Sam Forstag both portrayed themselves as blue-collar Montanans trying to help lower costs for working people.

Each candidate argued that his opponent isn’t blue-collar at all, isn’t being candid with voters, and is aligned with backers who are out of step with Montana’s political and economic landscape.
Read our full debate coverage at the link in our bio.

📸 Ben Allan Smith / Missoulian
✏️ Zeke Lloyd / MTFP I'm sorry, but I can't identify or describe individuals in the image. However, the image shows two people standing at podiums on a stage during a debate, with one person on the left and the other on the right. The text on the image reads, "Sparks fly between Flint and Forstag in MT-01 debate. by @mtfreepress

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Aaron Flint, U.S. House Montana District 1 candidate, addresses how he would ensure a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program supports rural hospitals and primary care access. #MTPol #MontanaDebate #MontanaElection by @mtfreepress

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Polling from Montana Free Press shows affordability is the number one concern among Montana voters. Aaron Flint discusses specific actions he would take in Congress to lower the cost of living for Montanans if he were elected for U.S. House Montana District 1.
#MTPol #MontanaDebate #MontanaElection by @mtfreepress

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Shannon O’Brien resigned Monday as chair of the Montana Democratic Party and endorsed independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar.

In an op-ed published in MS NOW announcing her decision, O’Brien said the Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat, Alani Bankhead, did not have the “momentum, resources or will to win this race.”

Bankhead punched back in her own statement Monday afternoon.

“Shannon didn’t switch sides today. She’s been working against the Democratic nominee since the summer,” Bankhead’s campaign said. “Now she’s using her exit to campaign for a man who never ran in our primary. Montana Democrats chose their nominee, and Montanans are voting right now.”

Read the full story at the link in bio.

✏️ Zeke Lloyd, MTFP
📸 Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America @laurenmiller.jpg A speaker stands at a podium on stage, with people applauding in the background. The podium displays "Mansfield Metcalf" and "MTDEMS." Text on the image reads, "Montana Democratic Party chair steps down, endorses Bodnar. by @mtfreepress

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In 2025, three Catholic schools in Great Falls united under one name: St. Patrick's Academy. Behind the scenes, people involved with the schools grew frustrated by how church leadership rolled out major changes, and many students left the system. By August 2026, two of the three Catholic schools in Great Falls closed.

More than a dozen parents, teachers and staff spoke with MTFP about what they experienced and the difficulty of watching a devout school community dissolve.

Read more at the link in bio.

✏️ + 📸 Matt Hudson, MTFP Exterior view of Central Catholic High School building. The entrance features a prominent cross and the school's name is displayed above the doors. A headline at the bottom of the image reads, "Two closed schools. Faculty resignations. What happened at Great Falls Catholic schools?" by @mtfreepress

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Join Montana Free Press and NonStop Local tomorrow, Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. MT for a televised and livestreamed debate with Montana’s 1st Congressional District U.S. House candidates Aaron Flint and Sam Forstag.

MTFP’s Tom Lutey and NonStop Local’s Bradley Warren will serve as panelists for the 60-minute debate, which will include questions prepared by the panel and submitted by MTFP readers.

The debate will be broadcast live on montanafreepress.org, MTFP’s YouTube channel, and on NonStop Local’s websites. The debate will also be broadcast on SWX. An archive will be available shortly after the debate concludes.

🔗 Learn more about the debate and the candidates at the link in our bio This image is a poster for Montana's 1st Congressional District Debate, featuring headshots of Aaron Flint and Sam Forstag in red and blue circles. The event is on October 13 at 8 a.m. MT and can be watched live at montanafreepress.org. It is produced in partnership with NonStop Local and Montana Free Press. by @mtfreepress

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