Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte to debate Democratic rival

Associated Press

Montana’s Republican governor will face his Democratic challenger in a debate on Wednesday. Gov. Greg Gianforte at first refused to debate Democrat Ryan Busse because he hadn’t released his tax returns. Busse released those returns to The Associated Press, setting the stage for the debate to be hosted by ABC Fox Montana. A congressman first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2018, Gianforte was elected governor by a wide four years ago after spending $7.5 million of his own money on the race. He has overseen a balanced state budget and record-low unemployment. Busse portrays Gianforte as out of touch with those struggling with high living costs.