Controversy Surrounds Montana Congressional District Claims
Republican candidate Aaron Flint’s recent remarks about the congressional district boundaries in Montana have sparked debate. During a June 18 interview on the David Webb Show, Flint suggested that the state’s 1st District was unfairly designed to benefit Democrats. Flint is currently vying for the seat against Democrat Sam Forstag.
Flint stated, “After the 2020 census, the state got split in two. This Western congressional district that I’m running for this year is a battleground district. This race could determine control of the House of Representatives, but the Democrats basically gerrymandered this seat here in western Montana for a time like this.” This sentiment was reiterated in a 2023 social media post where he claimed, “Dems control redistricting which gave us the gerrymandered districts.”
However, these assertions have been challenged. The current congressional map for Montana was actually proposed by Republicans and endorsed by the head of the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission. The map was crafted following the 2020 census, which granted Montana an additional U.S. House district after having only one at-large representative for nearly 30 years.
Kendra Miller, a Democrat serving on the redistricting commission, addressed Flint’s claims in a statement to the Associated Press, arguing that the new district tends to favor Republicans, describing it as “not a competitive district in my mind.”
Republican commissioner Dan Stusek expressed his satisfaction upon the map’s approval, stating he was “pleasantly surprised.” Analysis from the commission shows that Democrats would have historically won in only about 25% of elections in this district if it had existed before 2020.
Despite these historical trends, a June poll by Impact Research reveals a neck-and-neck race between Flint and Forstag, with many voters still undecided.
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