MT-02 covers eastern and central Montana, from Billings to the Hi-Line. This November the ballot has a Republican incumbent, a Democrat, a Libertarian, and an independent who gathered thousands of verified signatures just to be listed. In a state where no voter registers with a party, the whole field is yours to weigh. Here's who's running and what's at stake.
Montana's 2nd District is one of the most Republican districts in the country — rated Safe Republican, with a partisan lean of about R+15, and an incumbent who won his first term by more than 30 points. In a district like this, the November result is rarely in doubt. But "not in doubt" isn't the same as "not worth your attention." Montana doesn't register voters by party, the cost of living and the future of rural hospitals are squarely federal questions, and getting an independent onto the ballot here takes thousands of verified signatures. This page lays out the full field and what the seat actually decides. We don't tell you the race is close; we tell you it's yours.
Montana's 2nd District is one of the most Republican districts in the country — rated Safe Republican, with a partisan lean of about R+15, and an incumbent who won his first term by more than 30 points. In a district like this, the November result is rarely in doubt. But "not in doubt" isn't the same as "not worth your attention." Montana doesn't register voters by party, the cost of living and the future of rural hospitals are squarely federal questions, and getting an independent onto the ballot here takes thousands of verified signatures. This page lays out the full field and what the seat actually decides. We don't tell you the race is close; we tell you it's yours.
Democratic nominee for MT-02, 2026 (won the June 2, 2026 primary)
An attorney at a Helena law firm since 2010, where he has tried cases across Montana in areas including consumer fraud, civil rights, and insurance disputes; he earned his law degree from the University of Montana and clerked at the Montana Supreme Court. He won the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026.
First-time candidate, 2026
Retired U.S. Army colonel and cardiologist based in Great Falls who qualified for the November ballot by petition, turning in more than 12,000 signatures against a 7,274 requirement. He is a first-time candidate for elected office.
Elected to U.S. House, 2024; Montana State Auditor, 2020 (won); U.S. Senate Republican primary, 2018 (lost)
U.S. Representative for Montana's 2nd Congressional District since 2025; previously Montana's state auditor and commissioner of securities and insurance, and a U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard combat veteran with two tours in Afghanistan.
Based on voter file data and our 2026 Tuned In polling, here are the issues independent voters in MT-02 say will shape their vote. We don't tell you what to think about them. We do tell you they matter.
Among the most-flagged issues in the file: federal immigration policy and border enforcement.
Home prices and supply in what has become one of the least affordable housing markets in the country.
The federal tax code, the budget, and how Washington's choices land on Montana families and small businesses.
The financial survival of Montana's rural hospitals and the cost of care and coverage — an outsized issue in a district this spread out.
Wages, prices, and the squeeze on Montana households — the concern that cuts across every other issue in the district.
Public lands, farm and ranch policy, and the working landscape that defines eastern Montana.
100% — Montana doesn't register voters by party
Montana doesn't register voters by party. There's no box on your registration that ties you to one. Every registered voter in MT-02 is, in the records, independent — and in this district more than six in ten are classified as persuadable. That's not a technicality; it's a description of how this electorate actually works. You are not locked into a team, and you don't have to pick one to look closely at every candidate on the ballot. That's exactly what this page is built to help you do.
