Ryan Busse

Ryan Busse (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Montana. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Busse completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ryan Busse was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Busse earned a bachelor's degree from Bethany College in 1993. His career experience includes working as a author and firearms executive. He has been affiliated with Montana Conservation Voters, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. As of 2024, Busse was a senior advisor at Giffords.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Governor of Montana

Incumbent Greg Gianforte defeated Ryan Busse and Kaiser Leib in the general election for Governor of Montana on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Greg Gianforte (R)	58.9	354,569
	Ryan Busse (D)	38.6	232,644
	Kaiser Leib (L)	2.5	15,191

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 602,404
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Montana

Ryan Busse defeated Jim Hunt in the Democratic primary for Governor of Montana on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Busse	71.0	70,857
	Submit photo	Jim Hunt	29.0	29,004

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,861
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Shawn White Wolf (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Montana

Incumbent Greg Gianforte defeated Tanner Smith in the Republican primary for Governor of Montana on June 4, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Greg Gianforte	75.2	144,827
	Tanner Smith	24.8	47,713

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 192,540
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Kaiser Leib advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Montana.

Endorsements

Busse received the following endorsements.

Giffords PAC

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Ryan Busse completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Busse's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Along with my running mate Raph Graybill, who’s a proven defender of Montana’s Constitution, I’m running to get your Montana back. I’ve always stood up for the things I love and believe in. I’m a former Republican. But when the Bush Administration threatened public land in Montana, I stood up to my own party to fight—successfully—to protect that land. I stood up to extremism in my own firearms industry. Now, as a moderate Democrat, I’m standing up to a Montana changing for the worse—a Montana that’s become unaffordable, less free, more divided and less accessible over the past three-and-a-half years. I’m deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of our state, and I believe now more than ever, Montanans need a governor who is one of them. I’ve spent most of my professional career as a successful businessman—as a top executive for a major firearms company. But business experience is hardly a sole qualification to serve as Montana’s governor. Stronger qualifications are my record of leadership, my straight-shooting, my lifelong love of the outdoors, and my history of standing up for what’s right for Montana. I was raised on a ranch in rural America. I grew up understanding the value of a dollar, and of a hard day’s work. I’m not afraid of speaking the truth, or of speaking truth to power.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Making Montana affordable again. This includes fixing the current property tax mess—lowering record hikes on residential properties that have unfairly burdened homeowners and renters while unfairly benefiting the wealthy and corporations. It includes genuinely fixing Montana’s housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by the record property tax increases that have saddled ordinary families. It includes funding public schools, addressing Montana's unacceptable teacher shortage and serving the public servants who keep our public schools running. It also includes ensuring that law enforcement officers, public school teachers and nurses can enjoy, live in and make good livings in Montana.
Rebuilding state agencies and departments that have been severely damaged by harmful ideologies, incompetent leaders and dangerous priorities over the past three-and-a-half years. This includes the Department of Human Health and Services, which has overseen the removal of nearly 133,000 Montanans from life-saving Medicaid health care services. It includes restoring the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks back to the premier agency for protecting public land and managing public wildlife it once was. It also includes improving the working relationships between the State and county/municipal governments. I will also restore the government-to-government relationships the State of Montana should have with Indigenous Nations.
Protecting freedom, especially a woman’s Constitutional right to make whatever private decisions are best for her health and her family and her future—including the right to abortion and the right to decide whether or when to have a family—without interference from any government or politician.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economic health (including fair taxation, housing, and small businesses), public education, health care, public land and water, hunting/fishing and wildlife management, climate, and strong government-to-government relationships with Indigenous Nations.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Teddy Roosevelt. He changed political convention and established a public lands system that remains the envy of the world to this day. And he was not afraid to buck his own party.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I invite voters to read my 2021 memoir, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America (PublicAffairs/Hachette).

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The Governor of Montana must understand that serving as Governor is not a hobby for some bored billionaire, but rather a sacred responsibility to serve all People of Montana equally. The Governor must embrace transparency, honesty and accessibility. The Governor must listen to all perspectives and lead by example, with hard work and deep knowledge of the State, its history, its values and its residents. The Governor must respect the Montana Constitution, the Legislature, the Free Press and an independent judiciary. The Governor must also embrace hard work.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I shoot straight and speak my mind. I'm not afraid of any fight that's important. I listen to all perspectives (I've got good friends from all political persuasions). I follow good advice and reject bad advice. I read and stay up-to-date on the issues. I'm curious about the world. I love my family. I've got a strong moral compass, and I've got a powerful work ethic developed from a lifetime of ranch/farm work and a successful career in the firearms industry..

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of the Governor of Montana include: to honor the Montana Constitution, to serve all Montanans equally--no matter their health, wealth, age, gender, identity, community or geographic location. The Governor must lead by example with hard work, transparency, integrity and responsibility, and to respect public education, fiscal responsibility, public land, clean air and water. The Governor must not impose religious beliefs on public policy, and must understand the needs, concerns and challenges of ordinary families.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Like so many other Montanans who care about our state, I want to leave Montana a better place for my two sons--and their children, and their children's children.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the Iran hostage crisis and the Farmers March On Washington.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

First job was working on my family's ranch and farm as a kid. Had that job, working for my dad, for my entire childhood.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Road (Cormac McCarthy), because it distills the essence of a father’s existence into its simplest form.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

n/a

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Probably something by Counting Crows or Pearl Jam.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I struggle with seeing things and places I love be influenced by too much extremism. In my experience: The gun industry, and the current leadership of Montana.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

The Governor may be the Chief Executive, but that person must never operate in a vacuum, away from the realities of ordinary Montanans, and away from transparency, as our current governor does. While this is a critical leadership position, the Governor of Montana must also understand his or her role in a balanced government where an independent Legislature and an independent judiciary are equal players that all serve and represent the People and their laws.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

All of the responsibilities of the Governor of Montana are important. Chief among them, in my mind, include: 1) Commander in chief of the Montana National Guard and the Montana Air National Guard, 2) Lead advocate for strong economic polices, fair taxes, affordable and available housing, fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget, 3) lead champion of the Montana Constitution, 4) lead champion of Montana values, including the right to access public land, and the freedom of health care, 5) Veto-er of any unconstitutional laws passed by the Legislature, and 6) Lead ambassador to Tribal Nations and their sovereign governments.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

Montana's Constitution requires our state to pass and execute a balanced budget. As Governor, I will work closely with the Legislature -- Republicans, Democrats and Independents -- to achieve that in a way that best represents the people of our state while honoring fiscal responsibility.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

I would approach this power very judiciously.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

An ideal relationship is one that respects the ideologies and perspectives of lawmakers tasked with making policies, while also holding the line for Montana values and what's allowed under the Montana Constitution. This requires a respectful working relationship between the Executive and Legislative Branches, as previous governors have done before Montana's current governor.

What do you love most about your state?

Where do I begin? I love that Montana made me a better person. I love that my neighbors, who happen to have different political views than me, still understand that being good neighbors doesn't require us to have the same beliefs. I love that I get to call it home. I love Montana's wild lands and the fact we can live, work and play in them. I love our public schools. I love the people who have made our state better through pubic service.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Affordability. Under the current administration, Montana has become the most expensive it's ever been, without any of the visionary ideas or policies needed to protect affordability. We must build an economy that's good for small businesses, public servants, public school students and educators, and family farms and ranchers. I also believe the climate crisis will and must take center stage over the next decade. It is an issue that will impact our greatest industries (especially our recreation economy and family agriculture), our businesses and our future.

Tell us your favorite joke.

n/a

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

I would not hesitate to use emergency powers in the name of protecting Montana or the security of its people, or the viability and safety of its communities, or the strength and reliability of our infrastructure, or the viability of our economy.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Montana Federation of Public Employees, Montana Conservation Voters, National Organization of Women, Former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe government transparency and accountability are fundamental Montana values that are written into the Montana Constitution and are not negotiable. The current Governor of Montana does not share this value.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I support the current ballot initiative process, which affords ordinary citizens an important ability to change the polices and directions of our state--as long as they are lawful under the Montana Constitution.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Busse’s campaign website stated the following:

“

RYAN'S VALUES

CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT

Ryan knows the reality of the climate crisis isn’t debatable and will do everything in his power to ensure a liveable world for future generations. Ryan watched every minute of 2023’s historic Held v. Montana trial in person. The lawsuit holds the State of Montana accountable to our Constitution’s guaranteed right of a “clean and healthful environment,” which Ryan will honor and uphold as Governor.

DEMOCRACY

Ryan believes in majority rule, free and fair elections, and the right of all eligible citizens to vote without difficulty, confusion or harassment. He believes the leaders of the modern Republican Party, including Greg Gianforte, are actively trying to undermine Democracy and to replace it with authoritarianism. American Democracy itself is on the ballot in 2024.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Ryan is an unapologetic defender of the freedom of health care and reproductive choice, and of Montana’s constitutional right to privacy. He believes no politician has any right to make private health care decisions for women, including whether to have an abortion. If elected to a second term, Montanans can expect Greg Gianforte to strip the guaranteed right to privacy from Montana’s Constitution.

GUNS

Ryan spent more than 25 years as a senior sales executive of a major firearms company. He is a responsible gun owner and collector, and he believes in the Second Amendment right for all responsible Americans to own and protect their families with firearms. Ryan’s memoir, Gunfight, details his opposition to those who use guns to threaten or intimidate. His book also details his opposition to gun industry marketing practices which encourage violence and radicalization, because those actions put innocent people in danger and jeopardize all of our rights as Americans.

ORGANIZED LABOR

Ryan strongly believes in the power of organized labor and wants to grow organized labor in Montana. He will always advocate for union labor and the right of labor unions to bargain for better pay, fair benefits, and safe working conditions–in power plants, mines, construction sites, schools, police and fire departments. Ryan staunchly opposes — and will veto — so-called “right to work” legislation and believes taxpayer-funded building and infrastructure work should be provided by union labor.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Ryan and his wife Sara are the products of public schools, as are their children. Public schools are the heart of rural communities, and Ryan believes all students should have access to public education no matter where they live. Unlike Greg Gianforte, Ryan strongly opposes using taxpayer money to fund private and religious charter schools—which threatens the viability of rural communities. Ryan also supports public school teachers, and will work closely with them to ensure fair pay, fair benefits, safe working conditions and pride in their essential work.

PUBLIC LANDS

Access to Montana’s abundant public land is part of Ryan’s very livelihood. In fact, protecting the Badger Two Medicine from drilling is what ultimately drew Ryan into political activism and away from the Republican Party. An avid hunter, hiker and angler, Ryan strongly opposes any effort to limit access, to privatize or sell public lands, or to transfer management of federal public lands to states. Greg Gianforte sued Montanans to keep them off of their publicly owned land–the banks of the East Gallatin River.

SMALL BUSINESS

As a former business executive, Ryan knows what it takes to build a business and to prosper in Montana. As governor, he will embrace fair tax structures, better housing conditions, strong public and secondary education, reliable infrastructure and access to public lands—all of which lend to a strong business environment.

TAXES

Ryan believes corporations and the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes. In 2023 Greg Gianforte significantly jacked up property taxes on Montana homeowners in order to give tax breaks to fellow billionaires and millionaires, and to profitable corporations. Unlike Gianforte, Ryan has also always opposed a statewide sales tax, which would disproportionately hurt working families.

TRIBAL NATIONS

Ryan understands and honors the importance of working government-to-government with sovereign Tribal Nations, with open-mindedness, and with respect for and attention to the unique needs, cultures, languages and traditions of Indigenous People in Montana. As Governor, he will ensure his administration is adequately represented by Indigenous People.^[3]

”

—Ryan Busse’s campaign website (2024)^[4]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Ryan Busse campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Governor of Montana	Lost general	$2,863,696	$0
Grand total			$2,863,696	$0
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 7, 2024
↑ Giffords, "Ryan Busse," accessed May 17, 2024
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Ryan Busse for Montana, “Issues,” accessed September 19, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 7, 2024

[2] Giffords, "Ryan Busse," accessed May 17, 2024

[quotedisclaimer-3] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[4] Ryan Busse for Montana, “Issues,” accessed September 19, 2024

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Ryan Busse

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Governor of Montana

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Montana

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Montana

Libertarian primary election

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign website

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

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