Montanans Once Again Reject Gun Control Cheerleader at the Ballot Box

By Larry Keane

OPINION: It’s the same story all over again. Montana voters, who overwhelmingly revere their Second Amendment rights and rich hunting traditions, again rejected one of the more outspoken proponents for gun control as he tried again to win their approval and elected office.

Ryan Busse, the former firearm industry executive who’s now a staunch gun control activist working for GIFFORDS Courage to Fight Gun Violence, tried to sell his “I support the Second Amendment, but …” position to Montana voters to secure the Democratic nomination for the open Congressional seat following U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s (R-Mont.) announcement that he will not seek reelection in November.

Montana voters said, “No thanks — we’re just not that into you.”

In the Democratic primary for the First District Congressional seat, Montana voters kicked Busse to the curb and instead chose Sam Forstag as their nominee.

Rejection on Repeat

For Busse, this wasn’t the first time Montana voters turned him down. He thought he could win over Montana voters in his run for the governor’s mansion. But he lost his gubernatorial bid to Gov. Greg Gianforte by nearly 20 percent. Montana voters roundly rejected his platform that included implementing strict gun control laws like banning Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) — highly popular in the Big Sky State among both men and women.

It doesn’t take a political genius to recognize that’s a really tough position to sell to voters in the state with the highest percentage of gun owners per capita in the entire country.

For his part, the outgoing Rep. Zinke has been a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and firearm industry that makes the exercise of those Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms possible for tens of millions of Americans. Rep. Zinke earned an A+ in the 2024 NSSF Congressional Report Card. In that regard, Rep. Zinke and Busse were already as far apart on Second Amendment issues as Montana is wide.

Busse, on the other hand, spent 25 years working for a firearm manufacturer, during which span they produced more than 2.3 million rifles, pistols and revolvers. After that, he did a 180 and went and took a hefty paycheck from the national gun control group GIFFORDS. THe national gun control group still has the press release up announcing Busse was joining as a “senior advisor,” and he parlayed that role into multiple television appearances and media opportunities to push an antigun agenda more in line with Fudds than true Montana ranchers and outdoorsmen and women. He hawked his self flagellating book that was just Busse marketing Busse about his supposed “Saul-to-Paul” conversion to gun control.

It wasn’t surprising then that many Montana voters rejected him once again. It’s time he put his political ambitions out to pasture.

Clear Choice Ahead

With Busse’s loss in the Democratic primary, the general election is now a contest between the U.S. Sen. Benie Sanders (I-Vt.), and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)-endorsed Democrat candidate Forstag, and a Republican whom many Montanans already know well.

Aaron Flint secured the Republican nomination and will face Forstag in November. Flint is endorsed by current Montana Republican Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy. Flint even received the endorsement of President Donald Trump once he announced he was running to fill Rep. Zinke’s seat. He’s a retired Lieutenant Colonel and a decorated combat veteran as well, having spent more than 20 years serving in the U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve. During his service, Flint led combat patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan and he later joined special operations units supporting counterterrorism missions in Africa and the Middle East. He also received two Bronze Star medals during his service.

Needless to say, Montana voters already know Flint is a solid Second Amendment supporter. They will recognize his voice as the long-time radio host on Montana Talks, a talk radio where he discusses relevant political and current issues. In that role, Flint has been a longtime and repeated media attendee at NSSF’s SHOT Show^® in Las Vegas.

Flint is public and proud of his staunch support for the Second Amendment.

With no U.S. Senate or governor races this fall, voters in Montana’s First Congressional district will have their attention squarely focused on the Flint v. Forstag race, with the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives up for grabs. Montanans in the First District will have the stark choice between a hard left progressive or a candidate who supports the Second Amendment.

With Busse’s track record of losing twice before while running on gun control, Montana voters will have yet another opportunity to reject it again.

Keane is senior vice president and general counsel at the National Shooting Sports Foundation.