RZ

Ryan Zinke

Elected Official
PartyRepublican
ChamberU.S. House
StateMT
District1
Since2025-01-03
Former Interior Secretary who met with Palmer Luckey in April 2017
Tracked:Former Interior Secretary who met with Palmer Luckey in April 2017 · 6 documented connections
47
Facts
6
Connections
100
Votes
3
Contradictions
41
Sources
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⚖ Official Record
Voting Record vs Platform (100 votes) ⛬ Responsibility Scorecard → Full voting record →
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Matched
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Contradicted
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Related
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Unrelated
unknown Water Resources Development Act Yea 2026-09-16
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Retire through Ownership Act Yea 2026-09-16
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass — Passed
unknown An Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense… Yea 2026-09-16
On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendments — Passed
unknown PROOF Act Yea 2026-09-16
On Passage — Passed
unknown Ratepayer Protection Act Yea 2026-09-16
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule issued by the… Yea 2026-09-16
On Passage — Passed
unknown National Fraud Enforcement Division Act Yea 2026-09-16
On Passage — Passed
unknown Whistleblower Protection Act Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces… Nay 2026-09-15
On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed
unknown Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Table — Passed
unknown Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 9576 and H.R. 10326, providing for consideration of the joint… Yea 2026-09-15
On Ordering the Previous Question — Passed
unknown Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 9576 and H.R. 10326, providing for consideration of the joint… Yea 2026-09-15
On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed
unknown Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass — Passed
unknown GUARD Act Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in Supervision Act Yea 2026-09-15
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the… Yea 2026-09-15
On Passage — Passed
unknown National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act Yea 2026-09-14
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act Yea 2026-09-14
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed
unknown Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act Yea 2026-09-03
On Passage — Passed
unknown Protecting Domestic Mining Act Yea 2026-09-02
On Passage — Passed
unknown Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States… Yea 2026-09-02
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass — Failed
unknown Providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R. 4795); providing for consideration of the… Yea 2026-09-01
On Ordering the Previous Question — Passed
unknown Providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R. 4795); providing for consideration of the… Yea 2026-09-01
On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed
unknown AGOA Extension Act Yea 2026-09-01
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Concur in the Senate Amendments — Passed
unknown To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period for which certain regulations concerning… Yea 2026-09-01
On Passage — Passed
unknown Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes Yea 2026-09-01
On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed
unknown In the matter of allegations relating to Representative Chuck Edwards Yea 2026-09-01
On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed
unknown To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period for which certain regulations concerning… Nay 2026-09-01
On Motion to Recommit — Failed
unknown Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act Yea 2026-08-31
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass — Passed
₿ Financial Relationships
Donor–Legislation Interest Map
No donor mapping with confirmed FEC sourcing is available for this official. Direct FEC ingestion has not yet been implemented for this entity.
Donor Connections (3)
Energy Transfer Partners donor secondary 2023-2024: $14,210 via individual contributions — Zinke's third-largest contributor. Energy Transfer is a major pipeline company with interests in energy infrastructure and federal lands policy.
AIPAC / United Democracy Project donor secondary 2023-2024: $15,650 via individual contributions. AIPAC then halted fundraising for Zinke after he voted against the standalone Israel aid bill (H.R. 8034) in April 2024, along with 14 other Republicans. However, Zinke participated in an AIPAC-sponsored delegation to Israel in January 2026, meeting with PM Netanyahu, indicating the rift was repaired.
ConocoPhillips donor secondary 2023-2024: $32,425 via individual ($27,425) and PAC ($5,000) — Zinke's single largest contributor. ConocoPhillips has significant oil and gas operations in the West and on federal lands that Zinke oversees through his Appropriations and former Natural Resources Committee roles.
⚡ Analysis
Possible Platform Contradictions (3 identified)
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High
1
Medium
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Pending Review
90% published platform_vs_vote
Platform: "Zinke campaigned as a fiscal conservative and 'America First' Republican, and as Interior Secretary he frequently warned about fiscal responsibility. He touted the removal of…
[ Show full platform position ]
Zinke campaigned as a fiscal conservative and 'America First' Republican, and as Interior Secretary he frequently warned about fiscal responsibility. He touted the removal of public lands sales from the OBBBA as a signature achievement: 'I was never going to back down when it came to public land sales.'
"
Voted on "Zinke voted yea on the OBBBA (H.R. 1) on both May 22 and July 3, 2025. The CBO projected the bill…" (2025-07-03)
Zinke campaigned as a fiscal conservative and touted his success in removing public lands sales from the OBBBA, yet voted for a bill the CBO projected would add $3.4 trillion to the deficit — while making no mention of the deficit impact in his press release. He claimed the bill 'makes Medicaid and SNAP stronger'…
[ Show full analysis ]
Zinke campaigned as a fiscal conservative and touted his success in removing public lands sales from the OBBBA, yet voted for a bill the CBO projected would add $3.4 trillion to the deficit — while making no mention of the deficit impact in his press release. He claimed the bill 'makes Medicaid and SNAP stronger' while it cut approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid. The Flathead Beacon called this a betrayal of Montana values. His removal of the public lands provision gave him political cover to vote for a bill that was otherwise catastrophic for the federal balance sheet — directly contradicting his fiscal-conservative brand.
↳ Inferential finding #43316 created for review
90% published statement_vs_disclosure
Platform: "Zinke was a career Navy SEAL who took an oath to the Constitution and served his country for 23 years. After leaving Congress, he returned to win MT-01 in 2022."
Voted on "The Department of Interior Inspector General found that Zinke, as Secretary, knowingly misled…" (2022-02-16)
Zinke's career as a decorated Navy SEAL and his pledge to serve with integrity are directly undercut by the Interior Department Inspector General's findings that he 'misused his office to advance a commercial development project,' 'knowingly made false statements to federal investigators,' and 'lied to ethics…
[ Show full analysis ]
Zinke's career as a decorated Navy SEAL and his pledge to serve with integrity are directly undercut by the Interior Department Inspector General's findings that he 'misused his office to advance a commercial development project,' 'knowingly made false statements to federal investigators,' and 'lied to ethics officials' — resulting in his resignation in 2019 after at least six federal ethics investigations. The contrast between his oath as a military officer and his documented ethical violations as a cabinet secretary is among the starkest of any sitting member of Congress.
↳ Inferential finding #43318 created for review
60% pending_review statement_vs_disclosure
Platform: "Zinke claims to represent all Montanans and has an official website page for requesting meetings. He held a 'statewide tele-townhall' in May 2025 and posted on social media about…
[ Show full platform position ]
Zinke claims to represent all Montanans and has an official website page for requesting meetings. He held a 'statewide tele-townhall' in May 2025 and posted on social media about border security at a 2023 town hall.
"
Voted on "By summer 2025, Zinke was refusing to hold in-person town halls. The Billings Gazette published a…" (2025-07 to 2025-09)
Zinke's official website invites constituents to request meetings and he claims to be accessible, yet by summer 2025 he was refusing to hold in-person town halls, joining the entire Montana GOP delegation in avoiding public constituent forums under orders from Republican leadership. The Montana Democratic Party…
[ Show full analysis ]
Zinke's official website invites constituents to request meetings and he claims to be accessible, yet by summer 2025 he was refusing to hold in-person town halls, joining the entire Montana GOP delegation in avoiding public constituent forums under orders from Republican leadership. The Montana Democratic Party organized 'Empty Seat Town Halls' to protest his absence, and the Billings Gazette editorial page called him a 'coward.'
↳ Inferential finding #43320 created for review
Constituency Baseline — 1 MT (11 topics)
25%
Avg Deviation
1
High Deviations
20
Public Lands, Energy Development & Access
District priority: 92/100 Alignment: +80
District pattern: MT-01 is a sprawling western district where federal land management is a kitchen-table issue — voters broadly support multiple-use policies (timber, mining, grazing, oil and gas) alongside hunting, fishing, and public access. Opposition…
[ Show full district pattern ]
MT-01 is a sprawling western district where federal land management is a kitchen-table issue — voters broadly support multiple-use policies (timber, mining, grazing, oil and gas) alongside hunting, fishing, and public access. Opposition concentrates on unilateral executive lockups (monument designations, leasing bans). Historically the district backed Trump by wide margins and sent Zinke back to Congress comfortably, signaling preference for resource development over restrictive conservation.
Zinke's votes for the Fix Our Forests Act and MAPWaters Act align with district logging, wildfire-management, and water-rights priorities, but his unverified/nay posture on war-powers and scattered environmental votes leave unresolved whether he breaks with…
[ Show full deviation summary ]
Zinke's votes for the Fix Our Forests Act and MAPWaters Act align with district logging, wildfire-management, and water-rights priorities, but his unverified/nay posture on war-powers and scattered environmental votes leave unresolved whether he breaks with the caucus on specific land-transfer or leasing questions important to western constituents.
25
Agriculture, Ranching & Rural Economy
District priority: 90/100 Alignment: +75
District pattern: Farming and ranching anchor the district's identity. Constituents want farm bill passage, crop insurance certainty, predator and disease control, and relief from regulatory burden. Strong support for disaster assistance, which Zinke…
[ Show full district pattern ]
Farming and ranching anchor the district's identity. Constituents want farm bill passage, crop insurance certainty, predator and disease control, and relief from regulatory burden. Strong support for disaster assistance, which Zinke backed via the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act and Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.
Votes on disaster coordination and forest management match ranch-country needs, but no archived platform commitments and no farm-bill-specific actions in the record leave gaps on commodity program security and county-level drought relief that dominate local…
[ Show full deviation summary ]
Votes on disaster coordination and forest management match ranch-country needs, but no archived platform commitments and no farm-bill-specific actions in the record leave gaps on commodity program security and county-level drought relief that dominate local ag meetings.
8
Border Security & Immigration Enforcement
District priority: 88/100 Alignment: +92
District pattern: Rural western districts prioritize border enforcement, E-Verify-style labor rules, and opposition to sanctuary policies. Zinke's repeated yeas on the Laken Riley Act and the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act track…
[ Show full district pattern ]
Rural western districts prioritize border enforcement, E-Verify-style labor rules, and opposition to sanctuary policies. Zinke's repeated yeas on the Laken Riley Act and the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act track this constituency.
22
Second Amendment & Hunting Rights
District priority: 85/100 Alignment: +78
District pattern: Constitutional carry, suppressor access, and hunting heritage protections are effectively consensus positions in MT-01. Voters strongly favor candidates who resist federal firearms restrictions and expand public-land hunting access.
No explicit Second Amendment votes appear in the summarized record; alignment is inferred from party and district priors rather than demonstrated roll-call behavior, creating uncertainty for single-issue gun voters who expect visible advocacy.
12
Wildfire Prevention & Forest Management
District priority: 85/100 Alignment: +88
District pattern: Wildfire suppression, forest thinning, and post-fire recovery are perennial top-tier issues. Bipartisan support exists for the Fix Our Forests Act and for FEMA coordination improvements.
30
Health Care Access & Rural Hospitals
District priority: 82/100 Alignment: +55
District pattern: Hospital systems are among the largest private employers in MT-01. Constituents prioritize rural hospital solvency, telehealth expansion, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement stability over sweeping ACA changes. Split sentiment between ACA…
[ Show full district pattern ]
Hospital systems are among the largest private employers in MT-01. Constituents prioritize rural hospital solvency, telehealth expansion, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement stability over sweeping ACA changes. Split sentiment between ACA defensiveness in Missoula/Bozeman and market-oriented fixes in rural counties.
No clear record evidence on rural health reimbursement or telehealth measures, and the OBBBA vote's implications for Medicaid and rural hospital financing remain contested — a live constituent concern the summarized record does not address explicitly.
20
Taxes, Cost of Living & Small Business
District priority: 80/100 Alignment: +70
District pattern: Voters prioritize low taxes, relief from regulatory burden, and small-business viability, particularly in energy, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Strong appetite for property tax relief at the state level has spillover into federal tax…
[ Show full district pattern ]
Voters prioritize low taxes, relief from regulatory burden, and small-business viability, particularly in energy, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Strong appetite for property tax relief at the state level has spillover into federal tax positions.
Yea on OBBBA and the Protect Small Business and Prevent Illicit Financial Activity Act signal alignment, but Zinke's lone career deviation and the 'nay' on the Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act complicate a purely deregulatory read.
18
Veterans Affairs & Military
District priority: 78/100 Alignment: +82
District pattern: MT-01 has a substantial veteran population and a legacy of service members. Voters expect strong backing for VA facilities, the Montana National Guard, Malmstrom-adjacent priorities, and defense procurement.
Zinke's NDAA yea and his service background align well, but his nay on the Israel Security Supplemental and the Ukraine Security Supplemental — and the war-powers resolution vote — could be read either as a cost-prioritization stance popular with an…
[ Show full deviation summary ]
Zinke's NDAA yea and his service background align well, but his nay on the Israel Security Supplemental and the Ukraine Security Supplemental — and the war-powers resolution vote — could be read either as a cost-prioritization stance popular with an anti-foreign-aid GOP base or as hedging on defense readiness, an ambiguity the record does not resolve.
26
Education, School Choice & Parental Rights
District priority: 72/100 Alignment: +74
District pattern: MT-01 voters lean toward parental-rights and school-choice positions, evidenced by national GOP messaging resonance. Rural school districts are wary of federal mandates but receptive to flexible funding.
Yea on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act tracks district sentiment, but the duplicated nay/yea entry on the same bill and lack of any vocational or rural school funding votes leaves the full education profile incompletely matched.
35
Israel, Foreign Aid & America First Foreign Policy
District priority: 65/100 Alignment: +60
District pattern: MT-01's GOP base splits between traditional defense hawks and America-First skeptics. Strong pro-Israel sentiment coexists with wariness of Ukraine funding and open-ended commitments. Zinke's specific nays on the Israel and Ukraine…
[ Show full district pattern ]
MT-01's GOP base splits between traditional defense hawks and America-First skeptics. Strong pro-Israel sentiment coexists with wariness of Ukraine funding and open-ended commitments. Zinke's specific nays on the Israel and Ukraine supplements are unusual for the caucus and could be read as reflecting this anti-foreign-aid strain.
Voting against both the Israel and Ukraine supplemental packages distances Zinke from standard GOP leadership orthodoxy and from his own prior foreign-policy record, creating ambiguity about whether he is reflecting district anti-aid sentiment or breaking…
[ Show full deviation summary ]
Voting against both the Israel and Ukraine supplemental packages distances Zinke from standard GOP leadership orthodoxy and from his own prior foreign-policy record, creating ambiguity about whether he is reflecting district anti-aid sentiment or breaking with leadership — a distinction constituents will care about.
55
Government Accountability & Ethics
District priority: 60/100 Alignment: +35
District pattern: Voters want accountable representation, in-person access, and transparency on controversial votes. Strong interest in avoiding insider-dealing perception, given Zinke's prior Interior Secretary controversies.
Zinke's refusal to hold in-person town halls by summer 2025 and his silence on the January 6, 2021 certification vote directly conflict with a constituency that historically values direct access to its single House member; low-attendance voting is high but…
[ Show full deviation summary ]
Zinke's refusal to hold in-person town halls by summer 2025 and his silence on the January 6, 2021 certification vote directly conflict with a constituency that historically values direct access to its single House member; low-attendance voting is high but does not substitute for public engagement.
[PUBLIC COST ESTIMATE]
Documented financial relationships span 0 money flow chains, while 1 elected official holds documented connections.
0Money Chains
0Traced Hops
Connected Officials
Calculation Methodology

Contract values are summed from documented money flow chains where this entity appears as a source or destination node. Amounts are drawn from USASpending.gov, FEC filings, SEC EDGAR, or LD-2 lobbying registrations.

Donor contributions aggregate documented amounts from the donor_interests table, sourced from FEC individual and PAC contribution filings.

Connected officials are elected officials in our database with a mapped relationship (lobbying, board membership, campaign contribution, etc.) to this entity.

Annualised flow represents the total documented dollar amount traced through money flow hops involving this entity. Where hop-level amounts are unavailable, the chain-level documented total is used as a conservative upper bound.

All figures are drawn from public filings. Estimates are conservative — undisclosed transactions, dark money, and vanish-point hops are excluded from totals. This is a minimum documented floor, not a ceiling.

PATTERN person → [donor] → organization → [donor] → elected official 913376× PATTERN elected official → [donor] → organization → [donor] → ele... 158497× PATTERN organization → [donor] → elected official 15568× PATTERN organization → [donor] → elected official → [colleague] →... 11235× PATTERN elected official → [donor] → company 223×
TIMELINE Role Overlap Visualizer →
Connection Map
Facts (47)
Data Freshness
Fresh Last update: 15d ago · Avg age: 727d
Confidence Tiers: Primary Source — cross-referenced government/corporate filings Pending Review — sourced but not independently verified AI Inference — analytical hypothesis from cross-referencing
✓ Verified Findings (43)
Independently re-checked: a second model read the source artifact and confirmed it supports the extracted claim.
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Cook Partisan Voting Index: R+8 (shifted R+5 since last redistricting)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: average commute time: 19.3 minutes (vs. 26.4 nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: public transit utilization: 0.6% (vs. 5% nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: unemployment rate: 3.4% (vs. 3.5% nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: median rent: $1,174 (vs. $1,163 nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: median home value: $466,200 (vs. $303,400 nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: White (Non-Hispanic) population share: 86.4%
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: median age: 40.3 (largest cohort 20-29 at 14.3%)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: bachelor's degree or higher: 38.8% (vs. 33.7% nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: homeownership rate: 67.8% (vs. 65.5% nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: poverty rate: 6% (vs. 12.4% nationally)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: median household income: $73,598 (vs. $37,585 national median)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: population: 564,861 (2024 LegisLetter ACS)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Montana CI-128 — Right to Abortion Constitutional Amendment (2024) (2024) — passed, margin 57% Yes — 43% No
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 44-45 (share 0.12)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 72 (share 0.13)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 62 (share 0.16)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Stillwater Mining / Sibanye-Stillwater (platinum and palladium) (2000 employees)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Glacier National Park / Yellowstone National Park / U.S. Forest Service (5000 employees)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Benefis Health System / Providence St. Patrick Hospital / Logan Health (7000 employees)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: University of Montana (Missoula) / Montana State University (Bozeman) (8000 employees)
✓ verified Pending Review [constituency_baseline] District summary: Montana's 1st Congressional District encompasses the western third of the state, stretching from the Canadian border south through the Rocky Mountain Front to the Bitterroot Valley and including the cities of Missoula, Kalispell, Bozeman, Butte, and Helena. Home to approximately 564,861 constituents, the district is overwhelmingly White (86.4%) with a small Hispanic minority and significant Native American populations on reservations including the Flathead and Blackfeet. The median household income is $73,598 — well above the $37,585 national median — with a notably low poverty rate of 6% (vs. 12.4% nationally). Homeownership is 67.8%, median home value is $466,200, and median rent is $1,174. 38.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (above the 33.7% national average), placing the district among the more educated in the rural West. The median age is 40.3 (slightly older than the 38.5 national average), with the largest age cohort being 20-29 at 14.3%. The economy is anchored by outdoor recreation and tourism (Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, Big Sky Resort, Whitefish Mountain Resort), timber and forestry, agriculture (cattle ranching, wheat, barley), energy (Colstrip coal-fired power plant, oil and gas in the Bakken), healthcare, higher education (University of Montana in Missoula, Montana State University in Bozeman), and technology (Bozeman's growing tech sector). The district is car-dependent: 69.8% drive alone to work and only 0.6% use public transit, with average commute time of 19.3 minutes. The district has a Cook PVI of R+8 and shifted 5 points more Republican since the last redistricting, making it a competitive but GOP-leaning seat. Zinke won his 2024 general election with approximately 52% of the vote against Democrat Monica Tranel, who spent nearly $4 million challenging him. The race was rated 'Toss-Up' by Cook Political Report partway through the cycle.
Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified AI Inference Voted nay_unverified on H.R. 4346 (CHIPS and Science Act of 2022) on 2022-07-28: As the at-large representative for Montana, Zinke voted against the $52.7 billion CHIPS Act — legislation that subsidized domestic semiconductor manufacturing. 187 Republican House Representatives (88% of the conference) voted against the bill. Unlike some colleagues whose states saw major semiconductor investment, Montana did not have a direct CHIPS beneficiary, making this a party-line vote with limited local economic impact.
Date: 2022-07-28 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified AI Inference Voted nay_unverified on H.J.Res. 11 (Objection to Electoral College Certification — January 6-7, 2021) on 2021-01-06: As Montana's at-large representative in the 117th Congress, Zinke voted nay on the objection to Electoral College certification — meaning he was one of the Republicans who did NOT vote to overturn the certified election results. He was not among the 147 Republicans who voted to sustain objections. He later said 'there were legitimate objections' but his formal vote record shows he did not cast a ballot to overturn results. This distinguishes him from many of his GOP colleagues. However, his later comments about the 'legitimate objections' and his characterization of the election process suggest his position remains ambiguous.
Date: 2021-01-06 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Primary Source Voted yea on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act (119th Congress, January 7, 2025)) on 2025-01-07: Zinke voted yea on mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of nonviolent crimes including shoplifting. His MT-01 district is 86.4% White and overwhelmingly native-born with a very small immigrant population — making this a politically safe hardline immigration vote. All 217 House Republicans present voted yea. The vote was party-line with no distinct constituency dimension for Montana. The bill passed 263-156 with 46 Democratic defections.
Date: 2025-01-07 Added: 03 May 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 29
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 8034 (Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 ($26 billion military aid)) on 2024-04-20: Zinke voted NAY on $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel — one of only 58 House members to oppose the package. This was the vote that caused AIPAC to halt fundraising for him. Zinke had pushed to strip humanitarian aid for Gaza from the package, saying 'No aid for Gaza until an unconditional surrender and release of hostages.' Despite his AIPAC contributions ($15,650, second-largest donor) and history of supporting Israel, his nay vote was driven by his objection to the Gaza humanitarian aid component and his broader isolationist foreign policy posture. Montana colleague Matt Rosendale also voted nay on all foreign aid. Notably, by January 2026, Zinke had reconciled with AIPAC and participated in an AIPAC-sponsored delegation to Israel.
Date: 2024-04-20 Added: 03 May 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 8034
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 8035 (Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 ($61 billion military aid)) on 2024-04-20: Zinke voted against $61 billion in Ukraine military aid, joining the GOP majority that opposed the package. Republicans for Ukraine gives him a 'Mixed' or 'Poor' rating — he voted for the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act (which included Ukraine aid) but against the standalone supplemental. He previously signaled willingness to sign a discharge petition to force a vote, telling reporters there was 'absolutely' a threat of GOP Ukraine hawks signing on, but ultimately voted nay. The GOP majority voted nay (112-101). On the same day, he also voted against Israel aid and Indo-Pacific security funding — making him one of the most isolationist members on foreign aid across the board.
Date: 2024-04-20 Added: 03 May 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 8035
✓ verified Primary Source Voted yea on H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — House passage, May 22, 2025; Senate amendment, July 3, 2025) on 2025-07-03: Zinke voted yea on legislation the CBO projected would add $3.4 trillion to deficits and cut approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP. He successfully stripped the public lands sales provision but ultimately supported the bill, touting its tax relief and border security provisions. His MT-01 district has a 6% poverty rate and $73,598 median household income — relatively affluent by national standards — but thousands of rural Montanans, seniors, and children depend on Medicaid and SNAP. The AFL-CIO opposed the bill. Only 2 House Republicans voted nay. The Flathead Beacon wrote that Zinke and the entire Montana delegation 'abandoned Montana by falling in step with Trump.' Zinke's vote was 96% party-aligned per LegisLetter. He also voted yea on the FY2025 Budget Resolution that set the framework for the bill.
✓ verified Primary Source [disclosure] By summer 2025, Zinke was refusing to hold in-person town halls. The Billings Gazette published a column titled 'Cowards won't face the people,' noting Montanans had been asking where their congressional delegation was 'for months.' The Daily Montanan reported that GOP leadership had ordered members not to hold in-person town halls. The Montana Democratic Party organized 'Empty Seat Town Halls' in Kalispell and other cities to protest Zinke's absence, calling his 'mobile office hours' a way to hide from constituents. 'Congressmen are under orders from Republican leadership not to hold in-person town hall meetings with their constituents.'
✓ verified Pending Review [platform] Zinke claims to represent all Montanans and has an official website page for requesting meetings. He held a 'statewide tele-townhall' in May 2025 and posted on social media about border security at a 2023 town hall.
Date: 2023-2025 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Primary Source [disclosure] The Department of Interior Inspector General found that Zinke, as Secretary, knowingly misled federal investigators about his involvement in a Montana land deal and 'used his office for personal gain.' He faced at least six federal ethics investigations before resigning at the end of 2018. American Oversight noted that Zinke later gave a 'Deep State' speech without acknowledging these multiple ethics scandals that led to his departure.
✓ verified Primary Source [platform] Zinke was a career Navy SEAL who took an oath to the Constitution and served his country for 23 years. After leaving Congress, he returned to win MT-01 in 2022.
✓ verified Primary Source [vote] Zinke voted yea on the OBBBA (H.R. 1) on both May 22 and July 3, 2025. The CBO projected the bill would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt and cut approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP over ten years. He called it a 'historic win for Montana families' while making no mention of the deficit impact, instead highlighting tax relief, border security, and protecting public lands. The Flathead Beacon editorial board wrote that Zinke 'abandoned Montana by falling in step with Trump.'
✓ verified Pending Review [statement] Zinke campaigned as a fiscal conservative and 'America First' Republican, and as Interior Secretary he frequently warned about fiscal responsibility. He touted the removal of public lands sales from the OBBBA as a signature achievement: 'I was never going to back down when it came to public land sales.'
Date: 2025-05-21 to 2025-07-03 Added: 03 May 2026
✓ verified Primary Source Zinke serves on the House Appropriations Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Chair of the Foreign Arms Sales Task Force, Middle East subcommittee), and was formerly on the Natural Resources Committee. He holds a B.S. from University of Oregon, an MBA from National University, and an M.S. from University of San Diego. He and his wife Lolita have three children.
✓ verified Primary Source Zinke is a former Navy SEAL commander (1986-2008, retired as Commander), the first SEAL elected to the U.S. House, and served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Trump (2017-2019). He resigned from the Interior position in 2019 amid at least six federal ethics investigations — including findings that he misused his office for personal gain and lied to investigators. He later rejoined the House in 2023 representing the newly created MT-01 district.
✓ verified Primary Source Quiver Quantitative estimates Zinke's net worth at $13.7 million as of mid-2025 (77th-94th highest in Congress). He lost an estimated $10.4 million in the stock market in a single month (May 2025). He has minimal publicly traded assets that can be tracked in real time, suggesting his wealth is concentrated in less liquid or private investment vehicles. He previously served on the board of U.S. Gold Corp and QS Energy.
✓ verified Primary Source In Q1 2025, Zinke disclosed $714.2K in fundraising through a FEC filing. His campaign also operates the Zinke Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that raised and distributed funds to the Montana Republican State Central Committee, his campaign, and other GOP entities.
✓ verified Primary Source In May 2024, AIPAC halted fundraising for Zinke and 14 other Republicans after he voted against a supplemental funding measure for Israel — removing his fundraising portal from its PAC website. The National Pulse and PoliticsPA reported AIPAC 'cut fundraising' specifically for Zinke, Cruz, and Perry. Subsequently, Zinke participated in an AIPAC-sponsored bipartisan delegation to Israel in January 2026, meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, signaling a repaired relationship.
✓ verified Primary Source Multiple PAC donors at $10,000+ each in the 2024 cycle: Home Depot, American Osteopathic Information Assn, American Petroleum Institute, American Revival PAC, Big Sky Opportunity PAC, Eye of the Tiger PAC, John Bolton PAC, Majority Cmte PAC, Operating Engineers Union, Philips Electronics, Pinnacle West Capital. Other significant donors: Liberty Media Corp ($13,200), Jane Street Capital ($13,200), Marcus Foundation ($13,200).
✓ verified Primary Source 2023-2024 cycle: FEC records show total contributions of $9,243,725.31 with $952,758.75 cash on hand. Top contributor ConocoPhillips ($32,425 — $27,425 individuals, $5,000 PAC). Second: American Israel Public Affairs Cmte (AIPAC) at $15,650 (all individuals). Third: Energy Transfer Partners ($14,210, all individuals).
✓ verified Partially Corroborated Ryan K. Zinke filed filing with the SEC on 2021-01-27. Accession number: N/A.
✓ verified Partially Corroborated Ryan Zinke filed filing with the SEC on 2021-02-16. Accession number: N/A.
All Connections (6)
→ Palmer Luckey person
government_meeting confirmed
Met April 12, 2017 to discuss border wall building plans
← Troy Downing person
colleague inferential since 2025
Both serve Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives — Downing as MT-02 (2025-present) and Zinke as MT-01. Zinke is listed in known entities.
donor secondary
2023-2024: $14,210 via individual contributions — Zinke's third-largest contributor. Energy Transfer is a major pipeline company with interests in energy infrastructure and federal lands policy.
← Scott McEwen person
co-author / publishing primary since 2017
Scott McEwen co-authored the book 'American Patriot: The Life of Ryan Zinke' with Ryan Zinke.
donor secondary
2023-2024: $15,650 via individual contributions. AIPAC then halted fundraising for Zinke after he voted against the standalone Israel aid bill (H.R. 8034) in April 2024, along with 14 other Republicans. However, Zinke participated in an AIPAC-sponsored delegation to Israel in January 2026, meeting with PM Netanyahu, indicating the rift was repaired.
← ConocoPhillips company
donor secondary
2023-2024: $32,425 via individual ($27,425) and PAC ($5,000) — Zinke's single largest contributor. ConocoPhillips has significant oil and gas operations in the West and on federal lands that Zinke oversees through his Appropriations and former Natural Resources Committee roles.
Sources (41)
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan K. Zinke — FEC donations (no results) fec_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan K. Zinke — Parliamentary records (no results) parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2014-05-15 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4 — Zinke Ryan K (2014-05-15) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-01-27 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4 — Zinke Ryan K (2021-01-27) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2013-07-22 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2013-07-22) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-05-09 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Ryan Zinke not found in fec claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan Zinke — FEC donations (no results) fec_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2013-09-19 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4/A — Zinke Ryan K (2013-09-19) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan K. Zinke — Court records (no results) court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2013-07-22 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4 — Zinke Ryan K (2013-07-22) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2020-09-21 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4 — Zinke Ryan K (2020-09-21) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan K. Zinke — Lobbying disclosures (no results) government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-02-16 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan Zinke (2021-02-16) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-01-27 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2021-01-27) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2020-09-21 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2020-09-21) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2014-05-15 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2014-05-15) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-02-12 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2021-02-12) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2020-12-14 ↗ SEC EDGAR: 4 — Zinke Ryan K (2020-12-14) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-10-01 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Ryan Zinke not found in propublica_congress claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-10-01 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Ryan Zinke not found in opensecrets claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
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— ↗ Claim: By summer 2025, Zinke was refusing to hold in-person town halls. The Bill… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: The Department of Interior Inspector General found that Zinke, as Secreta… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Zinke voted yea on the OBBBA (H.R. 1) on both May 22 and July 3, 2025. Th… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: Zinke serves on the House Appropriations Committee, the … congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: Zinke is a former Navy SEAL commander (1986-2008, retire… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: In Q1 2025, Zinke disclosed $714.2K in fundraising throu… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: In May 2024, AIPAC halted fundraising for Zinke and 14 o… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: 2023-2024 cycle: FEC records show total contributions of… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan Zinke — Parliamentary records (no results) parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan Zinke — Court records (no results) court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Ryan Zinke — Lobbying disclosures (no results) government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-04-23 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Ryan K. Zinke not found in fec claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-01-27 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan K. Zinke (2021-01-27) web_search Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-02-16 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Ryan Zinke (2021-02-16) web_search Processed 📜 Receipt