Election Day is just two weeks away. Early polling suggests Democrats may flip control of the House, and by a tighter margin, the Senate too.
In an effort to fire up support for the GOP, U.S. President Donald Trump is campaigning for Republican candidates across the country. His PAC, MAGA, Inc., has spent $33.5 million on midterm elections in 2026. He’s held in-person rallies in red states across the country, including in Montana.
MTPR’s Clayton Murphy reports on the president’s visit to Kalispell and what some voters in the area are thinking ahead of election day:
It’s a cold, dry morning in Bigfork. The gas station parking lots are mostly filled with trucks, like that of Todd and Kelly Kissner from Yaak, Montana.
"Well, I own a sawmill business. Kelly Cleans Lodges. So we're just trying to make it day by day, month by month. We're not wealthy or nothing like that. We've got a couple cows and are just trying to make a living," Todd said.
The Kissners were passing through town on business, hauling a big livestock trailer. That day, diesel was $6.20 a gallon. A year ago, it was an average of $3.50, according to AAA.
“I mean, sawmill, skid steer, crane truck, we pay a lot of money in diesel every month," Kelly Kissner said.
That’s due in large part to the closure of the strait of Hormuz, an Iranian retaliation to American attacks on the country.
“Well, I think that it's worth it if we just go ahead and finish the job in Iran. I'll deal with this for a couple years if I have to because I know the outcome will be amazing," Todd Kissner said.
The two wished they could be 30 minutes north, where later that night, thousands packed into the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell.
Trump certainly has star power. The crowd quickly filled any silence as the president entered the stage. He touched on cultural issues like trans athletes, border policies, the Second Amendment and called Democrats “communists.” But his main message?
“So I'm asking you, just pretend I'm on the ballot. Show up and vote for these guys. We have to win.”
Oct. 14, 2026 rally at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Mont.
Historically, voters show up less for midterms. The U.S. Elections Project reports nearly 70 percent of the eligible population voted in the 2020 election. Only 46 percent in the 2022 midterms.
All of Montana’s congressional delegation showed up to the rally. Republican Senate candidate Kurt Alme echoed the president’s call to action.
“To keep America moving forward, we have to fight for a straight up-and-down-the-ballot Republican ticket,” Alme said.
Western district House Republican candidate Aaron Flint doubled down.
“If ever there were a race in the United States of America right now that was the definition of common sense versus crazy, this is the race," he said.
Affordability is the top issue across all of Montana’s races and the rest of the country. According to a Pew Research poll, in January, about a month before the U.S. began operations in Iran, 43% of Americans said they were “very concerned” with energy prices. This month, that number climbed to 74 percent.
At the rally, Trump said “we’re going to knock this Iran thing off fast.”
“They call them the bully of the Middle East," Trump said. "Iran was the bully of the Middle East. And they are. You know, they were strong. Now, they're not so strong.”
Brad Motz from Condon was also filling up his gas tank in Bigfork. He agrees with Trump. He thinks Americans just need to weather the storm.
“I had relatives that were in World War II, and the amount of pain that they went through was unbelievable," Motz said. "We don't have a tolerance for pain anymore. We have a drive-through mentality that we can go up the street to Dairy Queen and drive through and get instant gratification. Well, you know, sometimes things take time, and unfortunately this has got to be dealt with.”
Motz said he is undecided on who he will vote for this midterm.
Montanans can register to vote all the way up until 8 p.m. on election day, November 3. For more voting information, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sosmt.gov.
