Zinke Joins GOP Exodus as Democrats Target Montana District (1)

Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke won’t seek reelection this year, he announced Monday, vacating a seat that could be competitive in midterm elections that will determine control of the House.

Zinke, who served a House term before becoming secretary of the US Department of the Interior in President Donald Trump’s first administration, returned to the chamber in 2023. The 64-year-old incumbent serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Zinke is the 32nd House Republican to leave the chamber this year, either to retire or seek another office. The unusually large House exodus follows a year marked ...