Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joins contest for Zinke’s western U.S. House District seat

In yet another twist in Montana’s western U.S. House District contest, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced Tuesday that she will be running to replace U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke.

Jacobsen made her announcement on Facebook with a simple “I’m running for Congress” post and an upload of a campaign video portraying her as both a political outsider and a favorite of Donald Trump, who endorsed Jacobsen’s 2024 reelection campaign. In the ad, Jacobsen chops wood, rides a horse, and an all-terrain vehicle in a piney scene, before ending with a video of Trump repeatedly endorsing her for secretary of state. The Trump footage is from an August 2024 rally in Bozeman to promote U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy.  

Jacobsen’s announcement follows Zinke’s statement on Monday that he won’t seek a third term in Montana’s western U.S. House District, citing health problems. The development tees up a three-way primary with conservative statewide radio talk show host Aaron Flint and former Kalispell legislator Dr. Al Olszewski, who both joined the race Monday shortly after Zinke bowed out. 

In 2024, during her race for secretary of state, Jacobsen led all Republican statewide candidates in raw votes, including Donald Trump. She did the same in 2020. Term limits prevent Jacobsen from running for reelection.

In a press release Monday, Flint also touted his high-profile Republican endorsements, claiming support from Zinke, Gov. Greg Gianforte, Sen. Tim Sheehy, eastern Montana Congressman Troy Downing and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen

One Democratic observer, 50-year Montana campaign veteran Joe Lamson, told MTFP on Monday that while Flint and Olszewski offered his party a less difficult opponent than Zinke, he cautioned that a successful statewide candidate like Jacobsen, would present less of an opening for Democrats.