FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026
May 12, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Smokejumper and Union Leader Sam Forstag for U.S. Representative
Categories:
Congress, Election 2026, House
AFGE says Forstag knows our issues as well as any candidate ever has, and will advocate for us as passionately as any lawmaker ever could
AURORA, Colo. –– The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Sam Forstag for election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Montana’s First Congressional District in the 2026 elections. The statewide primary is June 2, and the general election is Nov. 3.
Forstag is a smoke jumper and union leader. He was raised by a mom who picked up extra nursing shifts and a dad who became a public-school teacher, both of whom made just enough to get by. Forstag spent years working across western Montana as a wildland firefighter, and between fire seasons he organized and advocated for public education, libraries, health care, and constitutional freedoms.
As vice president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 60, Forstag helped organize Forest Service workers in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest and led a successful campaign to unionize the last non-unionized forest in Montana. When the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk came after public servants and public lands in the state, Forstag helped lead the fight to push back and get Montanans their jobs back. He helped organize rallies, stage events to support laid-off workers, and hold Montana’s congressional delegation accountable for their inaction in standing up for working people.
Now, he’s ready to do that in Congress.
“Sam’s background as a Forest Service smoke jumper and president of his NFFE local makes him a perfect candidate to earn AFGE’s endorsement,” said AFGE District 11 National Vice President Tim Snyder said. “Sam knows our issues as well as any candidate ever has, and he will advocate for us as passionately as any lawmaker ever could.”
More than 15,300 federal workers live in Montana, including nearly 6,900 in the 1st Congressional District, where they care for veterans, support the military at Malmstrom Air Force Base, ensure Social Security recipients receive their benefits accurately and on time, and keep planes and passengers safe at airports throughout Montana.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents nearly 69,000 employees in District 11, which includes Alaska, Colorado, Guam, Idaho, Montana, Okinawa, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
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