Your absentee ballot should be sitting in your mailbox or on your kitchen table. Fill it out now. Sign the envelope. Add your birth year where required. Then get it back in the mail or drop it off at your county election office. Your ballot must be received by Election Day.

I own a small ranch, so I understand what it means when fuel costs go up, supplies cost more, and the decisions made in Washington hit close to home.

A lot of people feel like their voice doesn’t matter anymore. And they’re right to feel that way. Our government has been bought. Not quietly. Not subtly. Bought out in the open by billionaires, corporations, and special interests that have been writing checks and calling the shots for decades.

“He said the commitment to individual contributions was due to a disgust of politics. So why run for office?” - Seaborn Larson

We’re building something real here in Montana. Not a campaign built by PACs or billionaire donors. A people first movement built by folks who are tired of being ignored while politicians cash checks and disappear.

“I write to endorse Russ Cleveland for congress. My wife, Nell, and I have heard him speak four times and attended a candidate forum for candidates comparison.” - John McDaniel, Manhattan, Montana

Out here, healthcare isn’t just expensive. It’s getting harder to reach. Talk to folks in Butte. Talk to families around Kalispell. Talk to people in Polson who rely on Providence St. Joseph Medical Center. They’ll tell you the same thing.

We’ve got teams out across Montana knocking on doors, talking to voters, and having real conversations about the future of this state. That’s how we win. Not with PAC money or billionaire donors. We win by showing up, building community, & fighting for Montanans.

The new campaign website is live: russellcleveland.org If you want to know where I stand, it’s all there. Healthcare. Housing. Anti-corruption. Public lands. What I’ll fight for and who I’ll fight for.

“What’s hard to ignore right now is the disconnect in this race. Some candidates claim to speak for working-class Montanans while being backed by billionaires and special interests…”

I’ve worked my whole life. Most Montanans have too. People pay into Social Security every single paycheck because they were promised it would be there when they retire, and that promise matters.

Your absentee ballot for the June 2nd primary election should be arriving in your mailbox soon, if it hasn’t already. In Montana, every registered voter can vote absentee. No excuse needed.

This is what this campaign looks like. Neighbors showing up. Families walking together. Kids learning what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.

If you want small businesses to thrive again, send the small business candidate to Congress. I’m proud to be a small business owner who’s built companies, created jobs, made payroll, and fought through the same challenges Montana families and entrepreneurs face every day.

I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals with my daughters. Long nights. Hard conversations. Moments no parent is ever really prepared for. And through all of that, there were nurses.

Today, May 5, is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. It’s a day to honor victims and bring attention to the disproportionate violence Indigenous communities face.

Our TV and digital ads are up. We built a targeted plan to reach registered voters across this district, and every dollar is being used carefully to make sure people actually hear from us. Not consultants. Not outside groups. Us. This is how we win a grassroots race.

This is our home. Not a commodity. Not an investment opportunity. Not a playground for billionaires. This is where we raise our kids. Where we work. Where we look out for each other.

I’m not running for power. I’m running because I’ve sat at the kitchen table with families trying to figure out how to pay for care they can’t afford.

I made a decision early on that this campaign wouldn’t be funded by PACs, dark money, or special interests. That means we’re doing this the hard way. Relying on people who believe in showing up, being transparent, and putting Montana first.

I’m not taking a cent from PACs. This campaign is funded by people. That’s it. I’ve seen what happens when politicians take that money. They stop answering to the people back home and start answering to the ones writing checks. And the things that actually matter don’t get fixed.

I didn’t read about the childcare crisis. I lived it. When Kate and I were starting our family, we couldn’t find childcare that worked. We were trying to figure it out like everyone else.

This is what the campaign looks like on the ground. It’s neighbors taking the time to talk, sharing what they’re seeing, and stepping into something that actually matters. You can’t fake that. You can’t shortcut it.

I think people can tell the difference between someone who lives this and someone who just talks about it. I live here. I raise my family here. My kids go to public school here, and my wife and I both coach kids in this community.

Out here, water isn’t something you take for granted. It’s what keeps everything going, from our farms to our families. What concerns me is seeing corporations and billionaires looking at Montana like it’s something they can exploit and take advantage of.

This campaign isn’t built in some office in Washington. It’s built out here, one conversation at a time. It’s people taking a couple hours out of their day to knock on a door, introduce themselves, and talk about what’s really going on in their community.

I’m getting out this week with our team of volunteers to knock doors and talk with folks across our Western Montana. Having these real conversations about what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change is how we are going to win.

I still remember the first hospital bill. Over $300,000. One month. You don’t think about numbers like that until it’s your kid in that bed and you’re just trying to keep them alive while holding everything else together.

I grew up here, and I’ve always believed this place is something you take care of, not something you cash in on. This land isn’t just scenery. It’s the water we drink, the ground we work, and the places where we raise our kids and teach them what responsibility looks like.

Last year, you worked weeks just to pay your federal taxes. About 50 of those days went to war and weapons, another 10 to defense contractors, about a week to education, and barely half a day to feed kids at school. That tells you everything.

I’m not bought. And I’m not backing down. Dark money is still buying the people calling the shots. Corporate PACs, special interests, billionaires. They fund campaigns and expect something in return, and too often, they get it.

I’ve always believed trust isn’t something you ask for, it’s something you earn by showing up and doing the work. Alli Brooks put that into words in her letter to the Missoulian, and I’m grateful for her words and support.

I’m not running to play it safe. I’m running to speak up and fight for you, without being beholden to special interests or corporations. We need leaders willing to call it like it is. To call out injustice and corruption. To say no to corporate money.

I sat down with Montana Public Radio to talk about what I’ve lived and what I’ll fight for. From a $300,000 medical bill to watching families get priced out of housing, this isn’t theory to me. It’s why I’m running. Read or listen to the interview at rc4mt1.org/MTPR-4-8-26.

A lack of affordable childcare is costing this us about $122B every year in lost wages, productivity, & economic growth. You can see how it plays out. Parents can’t find care, so can’t work. Businesses can’t find workers, so can’t grow. Small towns feel that first & hardest.

What we’re seeing right now is dangerous. When a President is talking about ending civilizations, escalating conflict without authorization from Congress, and using language like this around war… that’s not normal. And we cannot treat it like it is.

Here's where I stand on data centers. I’m not against development. I’m against moving forward when we don’t have answers on energy, water, & community impact. Montanans deserve a say upfront & it should be built by Montana Union workers. If we can’t do it right, we don’t do it.

We can flip this seat, but we need your help. Go to www.russellcleveland.org and click on “Join The Movement” today!

Trump just told us we can’t afford child care or health care. That’s not true. That’s a choice. Because at the same time, we’re spending tens of billions on war.

If you believe our government should answer to the people who live here, not corporate PACs and billionaires, there’s a place for you in this campaign. We can end the corruption, cut the waste, and make Montana work for Montanans again. But we need your help to do it. ⬇️