By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
Ryan Busse, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Montana’s first congressional district, talked with Big Sky residents April 13 at The Wilson Hotel bar. Busse discussed his campaign priorities, including preserving public lands, accessible healthcare, affordability and accountability.
It’s not Busse’s first time visiting Big Sky during a political campaign. In 2024, he ran as the Democratic nominee in the Montana governor race against incumbent, and now current Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. Busse of Kalispell is a former firearms executive, author and environmental advocate—he’s also the father to sons Badge and Lander Busse who were plaintiffs in the Held v. State of Montana youth climate trial. Now he’s back on the campaign trail for the U.S. House, and finds that Big Sky isn’t alone in its concerns and hopes for Montana’s future.
Worries about healthcare costs, housing expenses and larger moral issues like the Iran war and the federal government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files are common in many of the places he’s visited. The conversations he’s had so far have been “amazing,” he told EBS.
“People, though, are more fearful, kind of betrayed, worried than they were two years ago,” Busse reflected. “Like, it almost feels like it’s more urgent for people than it was.”
He acknowledged that the past 18 months have felt like a “dark time” for a lot of people.
“And I think my first hope is that people realize it can be different,” Busse said. “We can win this thing.”
Busse explained that a Democratic win won’t be without real struggle, noting dollars devoted to winning Congress seats in Montana. Over $225 million was spent in the 2024 U.S. Senate election by the end of September 2024, Montana Free Press’ Tom Lutey reported, where Tim Sheehy and incumbent Jon Tester battled in the state’s most expensive election on record.
In his speech at The Willson, Busse shared that he has neighbors and many family members who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. But in his current campaign, Busse has found that people with opposing views share similar desires.
“I hear distress about healthcare from both sides of the aisle. I hear distress about housing costs. I hear distress about the effects of tariffs,” Busse said. “And when we start from a position of, ‘we all have kind of common concerns and things we wanna make better,’ … the conversations are so much easier.”
Busse will be visiting Kalispell and Bozeman next on April 22 and April 29, respectively. The nonprofits Forward Montana and Indivisible Bozeman will host a candidate forum for Montana’s first congressional district at The Baxter Hotel on April 28.
At the evening’s conclusion, Busse described his hope for better representation for Montanans.
“I’m proud of being from a family of fighters. My kids fight for this place, I fight for this place. I think the state deserves better. I think all the people that want something better deserve representation,” Busse said. “I don’t feel like they’ve had representation.”
