On Wednesday, the Republican governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, is set to engage in a debate with his Democratic opponent, Ryan Busse. This event is anticipated to be their only face-off during the current election cycle, particularly as the political landscape appears to be leaning more towards the GOP.

Initially, Gianforte disregarded Busse, a former executive in the firearms sector, as an unserious candidate, denying him a debate opportunity due to Busse’s failure to disclose his tax returns. In a strategic move, Busse responded by unveiling a decade’s worth of tax documents, which paved the way for the upcoming debate organized by ABC Fox Montana.

Gianforte’s election in 2020 marked a decisive victory, aided by the support of former President Donald Trump. This victory ended a 16-year succession of Democratic governors in the state. The affluent ex-technology executive invested over $7.5 million of his own funds in his 2020 campaign and has since managed a reduction in individual income tax rates, although residential property taxes have gone up during his tenure.

Under Gianforte’s leadership, Montana has achieved a balanced budget, coupled with record-low unemployment rates. However, his administration has faced legal setbacks in implementing policies such as blocking gender-affirming medical care for minors and limiting abortion access.

With a supermajority of Republicans in the Legislature, Gianforte has been granted the ability to appoint judges and justices when vacancies arise mid-term, in addition to securing funding for charter schools, a long-held objective of his.

Busse, hailing from Kalispell, has portrayed Gianforte as disconnected from the everyday concerns of the populace, emphasizing how the governor’s wealth has contributed to rising housing costs that have rendered parts of Montana unaffordable for many residents. Having formerly served as a vice president at Kimber Manufacturing, a firearms company, Busse left the industry due to his disagreement with the aggressive marketing tactics of military-style assault weapons.

According to tax documentation, Busse and his spouse reported an annual income of approximately $260,000 over the previous decade. Gianforte’s career in technology began in New Jersey before he relocated to Bozeman in 1995, where he established RightNow Technologies, which was later acquired by Oracle for nearly $2 billion.

Gianforte’s political journey faced challenges after a misdemeanor charge in 2017 for body-slamming a reporter, which marred his early political reputation. Nevertheless, he successfully secured a seat in the U.S. House during a special election and subsequently won reelection in 2018.