Kyle Austin

Austin was born in Havre, Montana, on the Hi-Line, and says he grew up on his grandfather's farm learning agriculture.[2][4] He graduated from Havre High School in 2001 and earned a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Montana's School of Pharmacy in 2008.[2]

Austin has worked as a pharmacist for about 18 years, by his own account, and spent years traveling the state doing pharmacy work before opening Pharm406, an independent pharmacy based in Billings with an office in Butte that serves customers across the state.[4][3] He also owns family farmland west of Havre where he has grown wheat, barley and canola, and he describes himself as a fourth-generation Montanan, farmer, pilot and small-business owner.[3][2]

Austin ran for Montana's eastern U.S. House seat as a Republican in 2022 and 2024, which he has described as a "dress rehearsal" for a later run for higher office.[3] He says he switched to the Libertarian Party because he considers both major parties dysfunctional, and he won the Libertarian nomination for the Senate in the June 2 primary by about 200 votes out of more than 3,400 cast.[3][4] He said he ran on a health-care overhaul he called "Healthcare 2.0," agriculture and smaller government.[3][4] He received 1.8% of the vote to Kurt Alme's 48.3%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[5]