2026 Catholic Voter Guide

Montana

Where the candidates stand on the issues Pope Leo XIV has raised, in their own words and votes. Every position links to its source.

Election Day · Tuesday, Nov. 3
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Any registered voter may vote absentee; ballots must be received at the county election office or a polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Late registration is available at county election offices. Official source ↗

How to use this guide. For each race, open an issue to see what Pope Leo XIV has taught and what each candidate has said or done, side by side. Where a candidate has served in office, we add their recorded votes on the same key bills for everyone in that chamber, linked to the official roll call. We summarize; we do not score or endorse. Candidates are listed alphabetically. Where we could not find a public position, we say so. Click any bracketed source to read it yourself. New to Catholic voting principles? Start with our national guide to Faithful Citizenship.
Montana · 2026

U.S. House, District 1

Open seat (Ryan Zinke retiring).

Download printable PDF ↓
Aaron Flint
Republican · Open seat
Statewide radio host and retired Army National Guard and Reserve lieutenant colonel.
Campaign website ↗
Sam Forstag
Democrat · Open seat
Wildland smokejumper and union leader.
Campaign website ↗
War & PeaceIran, Gaza, Ukraine, war powers›
Pope Leo XIVLeo invited citizens of every country involved in the war with Iran to contact their leaders and members of Congress “to work for peace and to reject war and violence.”Remarks at Castel Gandolfo, Apr. 7, 2026 (Vatican News via The Good Newsroom)
Aaron Flint
No public position found.
Sam Forstag
Says the U.S. should care for veterans and “not start new wars that we don’t need.”
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
AI & the Dignity of WorkAI rules, unions, workers displaced by automation›
Pope Leo XIV“No one can be reduced to productivity, to cognitive performance, or to mere data.”Magnifica Humanitas presentation, May 25, 2026
Aaron Flint
Says the federal government should incentivize opportunities in the trades and employers that invest in trade education.
[1] Ballotpedia: Aaron Flint survey
Sam Forstag
Calls AI “perhaps the most pressing issue facing our country” and wants strict federal oversight; would require data centers to supply their own power; supports a living wage and the right to organize.
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
The Poor & the Safety NetMedicaid, SNAP, health care, wages›
Pope Leo XIVThe preferential choice for the poor is “a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society.”Dilexi Te, Oct. 4, 2025
Aaron Flint
Wants to make permanent the 2025 law’s no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security; proposes lowering housing costs through permitting reform, expanded timber harvests and fewer restrictions on federal loans for manufactured homes.
[1] Flint campaign: Issues[2] Ballotpedia: Aaron Flint survey
Sam Forstag
Proposes giving every Montanan access to Medicare with expanded subsidies; supports universal pre-K and paid family leave.
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
Life of the UnbornAbortion, IVF, assisted suicide›
Pope Leo XIVAbortion “cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life.”Address to the Diplomatic Corps, Jan. 9, 2026
Aaron Flint
No public position found.
Sam Forstag
Supports codifying Roe v. Wade, expanding funding for family-planning providers and reversing Medicaid restrictions on certain reproductive-health providers.
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
The Death PenaltyCapital punishment›
Pope Leo XIVSomeone who opposes abortion but favors the death penalty “is not really pro-life.”AP via PBS NewsHour, Sept. 30, 2025
Aaron Flint
No public position found.
Sam Forstag
No public position found.
Immigrants & RefugeesDeportations, enforcement, asylum, citizenship›
Pope Leo XIV“Defending human life also includes welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants.”Letter on the 250th Anniversary of the United States, June 25, 2026
Aaron Flint
Supports border security and says “securing our borders and deporting illegal immigrants” will ease pressure on housing and health care.
[1] Flint campaign: Issues
Sam Forstag
Calls for comprehensive bipartisan reform with “an achievable pathway to legal status and citizenship” and oversight of immigration agents.
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
Religious Liberty & EducationConscience, school choice, Catholic schools and charities›
Pope Leo XIVReligious freedom is “the right of every person to worship according to conscience.”Letter on the 250th Anniversary of the United States, June 25, 2026
Aaron Flint
No public position found.
Sam Forstag
No public position found.
Care for CreationClimate, energy, environment›
Pope Leo XIV“We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures.”AP, Oct. 1, 2025
Aaron Flint
Calls for unleashing domestic energy production; backs the Public Lands in Public Hands Act, which prevents large-scale sale or transfer of federal lands, and multiple-use management of public lands.
[1] Flint campaign: Issues[2] Ballotpedia: Aaron Flint survey
Sam Forstag
Opposes cuts to public-lands agencies and fast-track exemptions from environmental review; supports clearer NEPA timelines while keeping public comment.
[1] Forstag campaign: Policies
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