Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Gianforte and Democratic challenger Ryan Busse will square off in their first and only debate Wednesday. It will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. on the website of NonStop Local, the ABC-Fox affiliate for central and western Montana. The debate will also be broadcast on the SWX channel at that time and later re-aired at 7 p.m. Thursday on Montana PBS and 8 a.m. Sunday on NonStop local channels. Gianforte is seeking his second term . He’s a founder of a technology company who later served in the U.S. House before his successful second bid for the governor’s office in 2020. Busse is a former firearms company executive who became disillusioned with the industry amidst rising gun violence. The two almost didn’t debate after Gianforte refused to participate . The Republican then said he would consider a debate if Busse released his income taxes, as Gianforte had previously done to the Associated Press. Busse then did so . Two debates traditionally held by Montana PBS and Montana Television Network will not happen this cycle. Absentee ballots are in the hands of voters statewide and Election Day is Nov. 5. Libertarian candidate Kaiser Leib was not invited to participate in the debate.
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