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KALISPELL, Mont. — Former firearms executive Ryan Busse has accepted an invitation to participate in another debate with billionaire Greg Gianforte, but the unpopular governor is refusing to confirm his participation in either debate.
Busse has said yes to a proposed August 12 debate sponsored by the nonpartisan City Club of Missoula. In June, Busse said yes to a proposed October 7 debate sponsored by MontanaPBS, Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio and Lee Newspapers.
“Gianforte is the most inaccessible, out-of-touch governor Montanans have ever dealt with,” Busse said. “He’s been too busy raising our property taxes, lowering his own taxes, illegally using our tax money to benefit himself, and believing he’s too above the law to even give a damn.”
Busse’s campaign last week filed a formal ethics complaint against Gianforte for his illegal use of taxpayer-funded “save the date” postcards, sent to hundreds of thousands of Montana voters, in an attempt to benefit Gianforte’s endangered political campaign.
The complaint, filed last Thursday with Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, is online HERE.
Busse has held more than 120 public events since announcing his candidacy last September. Gianforte, saddled with an approval rating of only 37 percent, refuses to meet openly with the public.
Busse is running for governor with lieutenant governor candidate Raph Graybill, a constitutional lawyer who recently took issue with Gianforte’s illegal use of taxpayer postcards HERE.
QUICK FACTS:
- Pronunciation: Ryan BUSS’-ee
- Home: Kalispell, Mont.
- Office Sought: Governor of Montana
- Affiliation: Democrat
- Website: busseformontana.com
- X (Twitter): @ryandbusse
- DOB: 2/23/70 (53)
- Occupation: Writer, Consultant, Firearms Expert and Former Executive (Vice President of Sales, Kimber America: 1995-2020)
- Family: Married to Sara for 24 years; two sons: Lander (18) and Badge (15)
- Alma Mater: Bethany College (Kansas)
- Chevy Odometer: 280,000 miles
- Hunting Dogs: Aldo and Teddy
- Bio: Ryan Busse is an author and former firearms executive who helped build the gun company Kimber from Kalispell between 1995 and 2020. Over his 25-year career Busse directed the sales of nearly three million Kimber firearms. His memoir, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, was published by PublicAffairs (Hachette) in 2021. Busse was born near the Kansas cattle ranch homesteaded by his great-grandfather. He is an avid hunter, angler and champion of public lands, and has held leadership positions with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Montana Conservation Voters. Busse and his wife Sara live in Kalispell and have two teenage sons.