Ryan Zinke
Active candidates for U.S. House District 1 (West)
Zinke, 63 as of Election Day, has represented western Montana in Congress since last year. He says he was born in Bozeman and raised in Whitefish on a property where his family has lived for four generations. He is also a retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander.
Zinke served as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior from 2017 to 2018. He previously served as a state legislator and was initially elected to represent what was then a statewide congressional district in 2014.
As he campaigns for re-election this year, Zinke describes himself as a “Reagan optimist” who believes the nation’s problems can be addressed “despite the mess (President) Biden has created in our economy, border, and national security.”
Federal investigations of Zinke’s tenure at the Interior department found he misled investigators about his role in a Whitefish land deal and about the department’s decision not to act on a gaming application from two Native American tribes while serving as secretary. Zinke has criticized both investigations as politically motivated.
This biography is based on written material submitted by the Zinke campaign and past MTFP reporting.
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from candidates via a written questionnaire conducted by MTFP in April 2024. Responses were limited to 1,000 characters and edited lightly for punctuation and spelling. Candidates were asked to focus on the positives their service would bring the state instead of making rhetorical attacks on their opponents. Responses have not been exhaustively fact-checked.
The two biggest issues are inflation and illegal immigration.
Bidenomics has cost Montana families an average of $26,000 more per household since 2021. Every economist agrees — the inflation is being driven by high energy costs and years of uncontrolled government spending. We need to continue pushing legislation that recall pointless spending, cut taxes and incentivize working instead of handouts.
On immigration, I meet with county commissioners, sheriffs and tribal leadership daily. I hear over and over how the border crisis is spilling into our communities, stressing our public resources and filling our jails. One of my early votes in 2023 was for the Secure the Border Act. The House has done their jobs, the Senate has neglected theirs for more than a year by not taking it up. But the easiest solution is for the President to do his job. Biden is derelict in his duty and has ignored the constitutional authority he has to fix the crisis he’s created.
Oklahoma Congressman and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Congressman Tom Cole. He’s a statesman, conservative, strategic with policy, and every day he demonstrates how to disagree with someone across party lines without being disagreeable. I have come to know Tom as a friend and mentor over the years and I was honored that as a committee chairman he took a week of his schedule to visit Montana to see our needs.
Well, first I’d show Biden where Montana is on a map because he hasn’t shown up here since he got elected. Then, I’d ask for new leadership in the Departments of Interior and Transportation because both agencies are failing Montanans on every level.
I’ve got a fantastic relationship with President Trump. He knows Montana and the issues we face well. Under Trump our country was thriving economically, and we had confidence in our national security because our allies trusted us and our enemies feared us. Now, we couldn’t be in a more opposite situation with Biden in office. I look forward to working with him to make our country great again.
Absolutely. I sit on appropriations and my two priorities were to curve spending and remove the woke out-of-touch agenda that’s costing Americans millions. The 12 individual spending bills the committee sent to the House floor cut spending by double digits across the federal government. We cut some agencies by 40%. But cutting is not enough. We also need to grow our way out of this, and that’s where cutting red tape and regulatory reform come in. I voted for the $600 billion tax cuts package to help small businesses hit by high interest rates, encourage lower income families to get back in the workforce, and provide relief to folks just trying to buy gas, groceries and rent.
I have deep empathy for women who find themselves facing this difficult decision. I have never opposed an outright ban and I vehemently oppose efforts by the Democrats to make abortion legal up to the moment of birth. Abortion should be regulated, safe and legal in the first trimester, but policymakers must recognize that the best way to prevent abortions in the first place is to make sure contraceptives are widely available and affordable.
When looking at the cost of housing in Montana you have to look at the big picture, that’s that under Joe Biden, every single thing is more expensive. It is also much more expensive to buy or build a home. To get home construction costs down the government needs to get inflation down, which means stop spending money we don’t have. Bring the historically high interest rates down. Open up mortgages on trailer homes. I’m also working with a bipartisan group on the Hill to expand low-interest and low-downpayment loans to first responders and K-12 educators so they can afford to live in the communities they serve. The average American is paying a $1,000 more a month for basics since Biden took office. It’s more expensive to power and heat homes because Biden’s war on American energy. We need to continue tax cuts for working families, encourage home ownership and policies that make it easier to attain a title, and give the private sector the space to bring back a competitive market.
There is no debate the climate is changing; man is an influence. I think where there’s debate on it is what that influence is and what can and should we do about it. My view has always been that promoting clean air and clean water and reducing our dependence on foreign energy is a positive step forward. Nobody produces energy more efficiently or cleaner than right here in the United States. When I was secretary we had the biggest production year on record and it was also the best safety year and we lowered emissions. So, the answer is not to cut domestic energy production, the answer is to allow the private sector to continually innovate to make energy more sustainable and efficient while lowering costs and improving safety.
I just got back from a visit to the southern border and one thing is for sure — there is no border. There’s checkpoints where illegal migrants go to get a shower, a meal, and a piece of paper telling them to report for a court date in six years. The executive orders Biden signed on day one reversed what we spent four years building under Trump. Biden created this crisis, as a result crime, sex trafficking, drug trafficking and fentanyl overdoses are skyrocketing in Montana. The answer is H.R. 2 — the Secure the Border Act the House passed more than a year ago and the Senate has let collect dust since. Both the Senate and White House have the tools they need to secure the border — but it’s going to take a Senate and White House to work with the House to get it done. H.R. 2 Ends catch and release Supports ICE to do their jobs, Resumes construction of the wall, Holds Mexico accountable Reinstates the successful Remain in Mexico policy
The evidence is clear that Obamacare has been a failure for Montanans and health insurance plans continue to get more expensive. History has shown us that the best way to ensure affordable and accessible health care coverage is employer-sponsored coverage. Additionally, the U.S. needs to stop providing coverage to illegal aliens. It’s crushing our hospitals and clinics, stressing systems and all the costs are being pushed down to patients.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Zinke
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| RYAN K ZINKE | 65,247 | |
| MARY TODD | 23,159 |
COMMON VOTING QUESTIONS
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters will pick which candidates advance to the November general election in the June primary, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. Voters will pick the candidates who will ultimately fill each office on the ballot in the November election, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of unsound mind are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the June 2024 primary election May 10.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production and web development by Eric Dietrich, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.