Kyle Austin Runs for U.S. Senate as Libertarian
By Russ Riesinger
Billings, MT — Kyle Austin, a 43-year-old pharmacy owner and farmer, is Montana’s Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate. Austin, who has had a desire to serve in federal office since his teenage years, highlights his business experience and small-government beliefs in his campaign.
“Back when I was 18 years old in high school, I always had the vision of being an elected official someday,” he says.
After previously running for Montana’s Eastern District House seat as a Republican, Austin switched to the Libertarian Party and secured a spot on the general election ballot.
“You know, being free. Having freedom from the government and not being controlled. That’s really what Libertarian is in a nutshell,” he explains.
Austin grew up on a farm in Havre and graduated from high school there. He then attended Northern Montana College (now Montana State University Northern), followed by the University of Montana, where he became a pharmacist. He is the owner of Pharm 406, a pharmacy he opened in Billings during the pandemic to address Montana’s healthcare needs.
Healthcare is Austin’s top issue, and he advocates for less government involvement in the sector. He recently sued the state over its collection and retention of private prescription and medical information through systems like the Montana Prescription Drug Registry.
“You can call me a whistleblower if you want, but now is the time that we have to put our foot down on government—especially with all the privacy concerns of data centers and Flock cameras. We have to get a stronghold on protecting our privacy,” he states.