“Montanans know they can trust Monica Tranel to fight for them in Congress because she’s spent her career standing up to out-of-state corporations and billionaires trying to take advantage of families and drive up costs. There’s a clear choice in this election: Monica is the only candidate in this race who’s offering solutions to the housing crisis and addressing the issues that matter most to voters, while Ryan Zinke has spent his career abusing public office to enrich himself and his big donors,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
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To: Interested Parties From: Mallory Payne, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 4, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Ryan Zinke
Tonight’s results set up a rematch between Ryan Zinke, an ethically bankrupt DC politician who only wants to enrich himself and his corporate donors, and Monica Tranel, who has spent her life standing up for Montanans.
Raised on a ranch in Eastern Montana, Monica is no stranger to hard work, long hours, and taking on tough fights, and her strong work ethic cultivated on the ranch led her to become a two-time Olympian. Monica understands that Montanans are frustrated with out-of-state interests making life harder for the middle class, and that our communities deserve representation that works for them.
After the Olympics, Monica earned her law degree and has spent her career taking on corporate monopolies and out-of-state billionaires who were trying to take advantage of Montanans. She stood up to NorthWestern Energy and saved Montanans millions on their energy bills. When a New York hedge fund attempted to cheat Montana small businesses and when out-of-state corporations tried to steal land from local ranchers, Monica stopped them.
Now, Monica continues to prove she’s the only candidate in the race who can deliver for Montanans and address the challenges they’re facing, holding events and meeting with voters in every corner of the district to hear their concerns.
Meanwhile, Ryan Zinke is the same DC politician he’s always been: plagued by scandals, backroom deals, and investigations as he does whatever it takes to benefit himself, his fellow multi-millionaires, and his special interest donors.
After Monica shattered expectations last cycle and came within three points of defeating Zinke in a largely defensive cycle for national Democrats, it’s clear Montanans are ready for new leadership and energized by Monica’s message.
Zinke Abuses Public Office For Personal Gain
Ryan Zinke resigned as Interior Secretary after facing 18 federal misconduct investigations, many of which were due to Zinke abusing public office for personal gain.
Zinke made a shady land deal with the Chairman of Halliburton, who promised Zinke and his wife the rights to a microbrewery on the property, allowing Zinke to profit from the deal. Additionally, Zinke, who owned land next to the development, would likely have seen an increase in his property value. And while Zinke had everything to gain from this deal, Montanans had everything to lose. It could have driven up housing costs and priced more Montanans out of buying a home.
Additionally, Zinke was investigated over allegations he wasted taxpayer dollars for his own personal benefit. Instead of saving thousands to fly commercially, he spent more than $12,000 to travel by private jet to Las Vegas so he could give a speech to the Vegas Golden Knights, a professional hockey team conveniently owned by one of his campaign donors.
Zinke even took a private jet to the Caribbean, mixing official government business with campaigning and using a taxpayer-funded trip to attend a political fundraiser. Then, he wasted $25,000 of taxpayer money to bring unarmed security with him on vacation to Greece and Turkey.
Time and time again, Zinke proves he’s only in public office to help himself – not Montanans.
Zinke is a Bought-And-Paid-For Politician Driving Up Costs
In DC, Ryan Zinke does the bidding of special interests who bankroll his campaign – and Montanans are paying the price, literally. Zinke has done more to advance his donors’ bottom line than lower housing and energy costs for families.
As Montana families face a housing crisis, Zinke has voted more than twodozen times against bills that would make housing more accessible and affordable. Why? It could be because his campaign has taken thousands from contractors, realtors, and apartment associations, and he’s trying to repay them.
Zinke is selling out Montana farmers and ranchers to Big Ag special interests and Chinese land speculators. He took thousands of dollars from a Chinese agriculture company that’s buying up U.S. farmland while voting to make it harder for Montana ranchers to compete with China.
When it comes to skyrocketing energy bills, Zinke has sided against Montanans. He stayed silent as Northwestern Energy, whose PAC has contributed thousands to his campaign, hiked rates on families by 28%. He even voted to cut funding for low income heating assistance by more than 75%.
When push comes to shove, Zinke doesn’t hesitate to raise costs on Montana families if it means enriching his campaign donors.
Zinke Wants To Ban Abortion Nationwide
Ryan Zinke has voted repeatedly to restrict reproductive freedom in Montana and across the country.
In the Montana State Senate, Zinke voted for a bill that would grant full rights to embryos, effectively banning abortion, IVF and some forms of birth control. And now in Congress, he co-sponsored legislation that would block funding for reproductive health care and force millions of women off their private health care plans. He blocked consideration of a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade and he voted to restrict access to mifepristone, an abortion medication that’s vital for rural communities like those in Montana to access abortion care.
Additionally, he voted for legislation that could criminalize doctors who perform abortions, target college students’ right to essential health care, allow federal funds to target women who seek essential health care and spread misinformation, and block reproductive health care access for members of the armed services.
He’s even part of a group that released a plan supporting the Life At Conception Act, a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or saving a woman’s life that could also threaten IVF access.
No matter what Zinke tells Montanans on the campaign trail, his record makes it clear that he’s laying the groundwork to ban abortion nationwide.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
NBC Montana: Tranel unveils affordable housing plan [NBC Montana, 5.22.24]
Ravalli Republic: Tranel hosts affordable housing discussion in Hamilton [Ravalli Republic, 4.11.24]
PBS: Zinke misused position, lied to ethics official, according to federal investigators [PBS, 2.16.22]
E&E News: Interior officials expressed alarm early about Zinke’s ethics [E&E News, 9.11.23]
American Journal News: Montana GOP US Rep. Zinke votes to restrict abortion after saying states should decide [American Journal News, 10.2.23]
Flathead Beacon: Tranel Says Montana Voters Seeking Out “Center Voice” Ahead of Congressional Rematch [Flathead Beacon, 2.2.24]
“Six months after her campaign launch, Tranel remains energized, and the Democrats behind her are optimistic that Western Montana will be a true battleground district in 2024, despite Montana’s increasingly conservative electorate. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Hill committee responsible for electing Democrats to the U.S. House, deemed Tranel a “top-tier” candidate on Jan. 29 as part of its “Red to Blue” program, which provides support for Democratic candidates running in swing districts. The candidate sees her centrist message as an antidote to the turmoil of Washington D.C. and an alternative to Zinke’s scandal-ridden tenure in the nation’s Capitol.”
PATH TO VICTORY
Last cycle, Monica came within three points of defeating Ryan Zinke with no outside help, despite being outspent by $3 million and having to spend down in a crowded primary. With no primary this time, Monica has been able to build a hefty war chest, raising more than $2 million so far while keeping her burn rate low. Zinke, on the other hand, consistently spends almost as much as he raises.
And while Zinke relies on many wealthy out-of-state interests to fund his campaign, Monica has grassroots support on her side. The majority of her campaign is funded by Montanans eager for change, while more than 90% of Zinke’s cash has come from outside Montana.
With the Presidential and Senate races helping drive turnout, MT-01 is well within reach for Democrats. Steve Bullock won the district by nearly 10 points in 2016, while Jon Tester won by even more in 2018, a race the Democratic House nominee would have won under the current lines. Tester is running again this year, and the stage is set for a repeat in the race for U.S. House as well.
Finally, the affordable housing crisis is top of mind for Montanans, giving voters a clear choice in November: Monica has spent her career standing up for hard working Montanans, while Zinke has sided with special interests to drive up housing and energy costs. Monica is the only candidate in the race who has a plan to tackle the housing affordability crisis, and voters know she’ll have their back in Congress.
