New Poll Shows Busse Leading Ryan Zinke by 4 Points
Kalispell, Mont. — Ryan Busse, former firearms executive and the 2024 Democratic nominee for governor of Montana, today announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s First Congressional District.
Busse enters the race as the candidate to beat, leading disgraced former Cabinet Secretary Ryan Zinke in a newly released poll. Zinke was fired from the Trump administration amid 18 separate ethics investigations in 2018 and has since continued to face mounting voter backlash.
A December 8 poll conducted by Tulchin Research shows Busse leading Zinke 47% to 43%, (see attached poll memo) with Zinke’s favorability underwater—clear signs that voters are ready for change.
Busse grew up on a family cow-calf ranch and wheat farm, graduating with just 16 classmates from his rural public school. He and his wife, Sara, have lived in the Flathead Valley for more than 30 years, raising their two sons while hunting, fishing, and building a life rooted in Montana values. After more than 25 years building a national sales team at Kimber Firearms, Busse also served in leadership roles with major conservation organizations before stepping into public service.
“It wasn’t always easy—but we lived the Montana dream,” Busse said. “We worked hard, scraped together enough to buy our first house, and raised our kids catching fish in the summer and filling the freezer in the fall. I want my kids—and every Montana kid—to have the same chance to build a life here. Right now, that’s slipping away.”
Busse drew a sharp contrast with Zinke, accusing the incumbent of selling out Montanans to wealthy insiders and out-of-state interests.
“Ryan Zinke gives billionaires and corporate insiders every advantage while working families get crushed,” Busse said. “He cheers tariffs that kill Montana businesses, supports a $40 billion bailout for Argentina, and votes to jack up health care costs so insurance executives can get richer. While Montanans struggle, Zinke jets off to his California estate to cut corrupt deals. We are done with it.”
Busse said his campaign will focus on confronting Zinke’s failure to bring costs down, fixing Montana’s broken health care system, protecting public lands, standing up for hardworking tribal and rural communities, and rooting out corruption in Washington.
“Montana once led the nation by rejecting the corruption of the copper kings,” Busse said. “It’s time to do it again.”
In the coming months, Busse will travel across Montana’s First District to meet voters, listen to their concerns, and share their vision for a state where working families—not wealthy insiders—come first.
“Montana is my home,” Busse said. “It’s made me who I am. I owe it to this state to fight like hell to make it livable for everyday people again.”
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
- 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.