Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke announced Monday he will not run for reelection, marking the 52nd member of Congress to exit the chamber after the November midterms.
Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who held the seat from 2014 to 2017 and then again since 2023, said in a statement he has recently undergone multiple surgeries due to his experience serving in Special Operations and will face “several more” surgeries after leaving office. He will serve out the remainder of his term in Congress and will exit alongside the multitude of lawmakers leaving the chamber after the election this fall.
“While my belief in term limits for elected office is a consideration, I have quietly undergone multiple surgeries since I returned to Congress and unfortunately face several more immediately after leaving office,” Zinke said in a statement. “The injuries sustained from a career in Special Operations are not immediately life threatening, but the repair cannot be deferred any longer and recovery will require considerable time with my wife Lola and my family.”
A total of 52 lawmakers, 31 Republicans and 21 Democrats, will be leaving Congress next winter, marking an exodus from Washington, D.C. that Democrats are looking to take advantage of.
Of Montana’s two Congressional Districts, Zinke’s 1st District leans Republican, according to Cook Political Report, while the 2nd District is solid Republican, giving Democrats an edge in Zinke’s territory. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee labeled Zinke’s district “in play” as they look to take one of the Big Sky Country’s Congressional seats.
Zinke was initially elected to the state’s at-large congressional seat in 2014, but then served as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior during his first term. Following his appointment, the Congressman was then reelected to the newly drawn 1st Congressional District in 2022.
“My judgment and experience tell me it is better for Montana and America to have full-time representation in Congress than run the risk of uncertain absence and missed votes,” Zinke said.
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