With Montana Republican US Rep. Ryan Zinke’s announcement early Monday morning that he will not seek re-election for Western District 1, due to health concerns, by day’s end two well-known Montana Republicans announced their candidacy for the Primary on June 2. And, then on Tuesday another announced.
The candidate most well-known in Yellowstone County is radio talk show host, Aaron Flint, who filed on Monday, as did Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski, Kalispell. For more than ten years, Flint produced “Montana Talks” in Billings, where he lived until a few months ago when he moved to the Flathead Valley.
On Tuesday, another readily recognized Republican, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, filed as a candidate, making it a 3-way contest. Jacobsen has served two terms as Secretary of State and is term limited out. Her first run for office was in 2020, after serving as deputy secretary for three years. She won re-election in 2024.
Zinke quickly issued an endorsement of Flint, saying he is “a decorated combat veteran, a strong America First Conservative, a lifelong advocate for our Montana way of life, and is the next generation of leadership Montana needs.”
Flint also quickly received other endorsements, including that of President Trump. Also, issuing announcements of endorsements were all of Montana’s US Congressional representatives US Sen. Tim Sheehy, US Rep. Troy Downing, and US Sen. Steve Daines, as well as, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen, all Republicans.
Olszewski has a high profile throughout Montana, but especially in Western Montana, where he was Zinke’s challenger in the Republican 2022 primary for Representative for Western District 1, which comprises most of western Montana. Zinke defeated Olszewski by less than 2000 votes. Olszewski said that he was intending to file even had Zinke not bowed out.
Olszewski is an orthopedic surgeon having received a Doctorate of Medicine from University of Washington School of Medicine in 1988. He served for 13 years in the United States Air Force, becoming a surgeon and rising to the rank of major.
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