New Poll Confirms Ryan Busse as Clear Frontrunner in MT-01 Democratic Primary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: press@busseformontana.com

Kalispell, Montana — A newly released poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters in Montana’s First Congressional District shows Ryan Busse leading the field by a decisive double-digit margin, further cementing his position as the clear frontrunner in the race.

The survey, conducted by Tulchin Research, finds Busse earning 35% of the vote, nearly matching the combined support of the rest of the field, and leading his closest opponent by 15 points. Busse maintains that advantage even after voters hear additional information about the candidates, demonstrating both the breadth and resilience of his support.

The poll also highlights Busse’s strong standing with voters across the district. He is the most widely recognized candidate in the race, with 75% name identification, and holds a commanding +51 favorability rating (63% favorable to 12% unfavorable), far exceeding the profiles of his opponents.

Busse’s 35% support places him well ahead of Russell Cleveland (20%), Sam Forstag (13%), and Matt Rains (5%), with 27% still undecided. There is significant room for Busse to expand his lead even further among voters who are increasingly focused on selecting the candidate best positioned to win the general election. 

This latest polling comes on the heels of an impressive fundraising report released last week, underscoring the campaign’s clear viability and momentum.

“This poll confirms what we’ve been seeing on the ground for months: Ryan Busse is the candidate Democratic voters trust to win this primary and flip this open seat in November,” said campaign manager Alice Collins. Over the next two months, the campaign will continue building on this momentum as it heads toward the June 2nd primary.