Sam
Forstag

Sam Forstag is a wildland firefighter and union leader who has spent his life defending Montana’s people and public lands from climate change, cuts to government services, and greedy corporations.

After working his way through his degree, Forstag graduated from the University of Montana and joined the U.S. Forest Service as a firefighter. He climbed the ranks to become a firejumper, a highly skilled expert that parachutes into remote areas across the country to put out deadly wildfires. Between firefighting seasons, Forstag continued to stand up for working Montanans, leading his union and advocating at the Montana state Legislature. Forstag has refused to back down from even the largest opponents. When the Trump administration cut forest service jobs and threatened public lands, Forstag fought back and organized his union members to protest against illegal layoffs. And when big corporations contaminated Montana’s soil and polluted the atmosphere, Forstag spoke out against the companies putting profits over community health.

As a representative, Forstag will champion working families by encouraging the rollout of affordable, renewable energy, investing in research and development for new clean technologies, and prioritizing training for local energy jobs to ensure a just transition.

Forstag joins the U.S House after defeating Republican candidate Aaron Flint to fill the seat of retiring Representative Ryan Zinke, who earned a 3% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard.

“As a former wildland firefighter and smokejumper, I’ve witnessed firsthand the harmful effects of climate change on our nation’s public lands, communities, and working-class livelihoods. In Congress, I’ll fight for a transition toward an environmentally sustainable energy grid.” – LCVAF Questionnaire