Ryan Zinke, a former congressman and secretary of the interior, was elected to Montana’s First Congressional District, according to projections.
Zinke, a former Navy Seal who previously represented Montana as the state’s at-large congressman, defeated Democrat Monica Tranel and Libertarian John Lamb.
Montana’s first congressional district voters the western part of Montana, which encompasses Missoula and Bozeman. Montana received a new congressional district after the census.
Montana GOP Chairman Don “K” Kaltschmidt said in a statement regarding Zinke’s victory:
The Montana Republican Party enthusiastically congratulates Ryan Zinke on his hard-fought win to represent Western Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Zinke will help hold Joe Biden and his Administration accountable and work to undo the damage of the Left’s disastrous policies. He will fight to lower prices for Montana families, stand up for our freedoms and work to secure the southern border. Montanans made the right choice by electing Zinke to serve alongside Steve Daines and Matt Rosendale in Congress. Congratulations, Ryan!
Montana faced a contentious race between Tranel and Lamb as Zinke accused the Democrat and Libertarian of having a “lovefest” over their shared leftist values.
Zinke’s interview with Breitbart News Saturday follows as Breitbart News reported that Lamb and Tranel were coordinating their efforts to spoil Zinke’s comeback campaign in the state’s newly created first congressional district.
The Montana Republican Party also explored taking retribution against Montana Democrats for their “corruption and collusion” in the effort to “steal GOP votes.”
Montanans Against Corruption PAC, a Democrat super PAC that supports Democrat Monica Tranel in the state’s first district race, put out a flyer with a Montana Republican Party logo that makes it appear that the state GOP supports an “outright ban on elective abortion with exceptions.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.