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KALISPELL, Mont. — Former firearms executive Ryan Busse today announced he has accepted an invitation to debate New Jersey billionaire Greg Gianforte, and challenged the unpopular governor to face off in “ten more” gubernatorial debates between now and Election Day.
Busse confirmed his participation in a televised debate proposed for October 7. The 7 p.m. debate, sponsored by MontanaPBS, Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio and Lee Newspapers, is expected to be broadcast statewide. It is unclear whether Gianforte plans to participate.
“People deserve to know why Greg Gianforte raised their property taxes,” Busse said in an Instagram video Monday, adding that Montanans are “rightfully upset” about Gianforte’s threats to Montana wildlife, his failure to support public schools, his housing and affordability crisis, and his war on women’s freedom and privacy.
“Greg Gianforte refuses to have public meetings, so he owes it to the state—he owes it to the voters—to have a debate,” Busse said. “Greg, I hope we have ten more debates. Let’s go!”
Busse will debate Gianforte with or without Libertarian candidate for governor Kaiser Leib.
Gianforte lost a staggering 25 percent of the GOP vote share to Republican challenger Tanner Smith, a state legislator, in Montana’s June 4 Primary Election. That means Gianforte received the lowest vote share for an incumbent Montana governor in at least 44 years.
Gianforte also suffers from a miserable approval rating of only 37 percent, according to Emerson College Polling.
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.