HELENA — Former Secretary of the Interior and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke has filed to run for Montana's new second seat in the U.S. House.
The Republican was elected twice, in 2014 and 2016, to serve as Montana’s only member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first Navy SEAL to serve in the chamber.
In 2016, Zinke was selected by former President Trump to lead the Department of the Interior. He was the first Montanan to serve on the Presidential cabinet.
Zinke’s time as Secretary of the Interior was met with controversy, including being investigated for using private planes to travel to events and raise funds for Republican causes. He called the investigations “false allegations,” but the investigations ultimately led to his departure from Trump’s administration in 2018.
The filing with the Federal Election Commission indicates Zinke plans to run for Montana’s Second Congressional District which was recently awarded to Montana.
The boundaries for the second Montana Congressional District have yet to be finalized.
