# Is Montana Ground Zero for Independents? From Baghdad to the Ballot: Army Doc Runs for Congress. Independent Veteran for US House in Montana’s 2nd - Michael Eisenhauer.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737/is-montana-ground-zero-for-independents-from-baghdad-to-the-ballot-army-doc-runs-for-congress-independent-veteran-for-us-house-in-montana-s-2nd-michael-eisenhauer
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737/is-montana-ground-zero-for-independents-from-baghdad-to-the-ballot-army-doc-runs-for-congress-independent-veteran-for-us-house-in-montana-s-2nd-michael-eisenhauer.md
Podcast: [Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff](https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737)
Published: 2026-06-03T20:21:39+00:00
Episode link: https://bleav.com/shows/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/episodes/is-montana-ground-zero-for-independents-from-baghdad-to-the-ballot-army-doc-runs-for-congress-independent-veteran-for-us-house-in-montanas-2nd-michael-eisenhauer/
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Duration seconds: 2439

## Resource

The day after Montana's 2026 primary, Paul sits down with Colonel Mike Eisenhauer — a 25-year Army veteran, Bronze Star recipient, and practicing interventional cardiologist who is now running as an independent for Congress (https://eisenhauerforcongress.com/) in Montana's massive 2nd District. While the Republican incumbent ran unopposed and three Democrats fought over a primary their party hasn't won statewide in decades, Eisenhauer was outside the rigged two-party system entirely, gathering nearly 13,000 verified signatures to earn his spot on the November ballot. This is what it actually takes to break through when the machine is designed to keep you out.

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