Radio host Aaron Flint, Dr. Al Olszewski launch bids after Rep. Ryan Zinke bows out

Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke said Monday he would not seek reelection, an unexpected turn of events in the race to represent Montana's western congressional district.

Minutes after Zinke's announcement, Al Olszewski, chair of the Flathead County Republican Central Committee, told the Montana State News Bureau he plans to run for the seat.

Conservative talk radio host Aaron Flint also launched a campaign website, an advertisement and got multiple prominent endorsements Monday afternoon, though he could not be reached before publication.

The deadline to file to run for office in Montana is Wednesday, setting up a last-minute candidate shuffle.

Zinke said he plans to finish serving the remainder of his term, which ends in early 2027. He would have been running for a fifth term.

"As for my service and duty going forward, I have made the decision to leave office at the end of my fourth term and not seek re-election," he said in a statement. "I do not take this decision lightly and have informed President Trump, the Governor, and senior leadership of this difficult but necessary decision."

Zinke said he is not seeking reelection because he faces "several" surgeries after his term is up.

"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. 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," Zinke said in the statement.

Zinke's office also issued a letter in which the congressman said it was his "highest honor" to serve Montana and the country as a Navy SEAL commander, state senator, congressman and as the secretary of the interior during Donald Trump's first term.

Olszewski, speaking from a taxi cab in New Orleans, said he plans to file to run for office online.

"I think we can do a good job," he said. "All I need is the endorsement of the people of western Montana, so that’s all."

Olszewski, a former state senator and orthopedic surgeon, is a perennial Republican candidate. He has previously run for this seat when he challenged Zinke, who is also a Flathead County resident, in the 2022 primary and lost by two points. He also ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2020 and U.S. Senate in 2018.

"Life got interesting in the last few minutes," Olszewski said.

Flint, the Montana Talks host, has not yet filed to run.

Zinke, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, U.S. Rep. Troy Downing and Gov. Greg Gianforte all endorsed Flint's candidacy almost immediately after Zinke announced his retirement.

Olszewski theorized that Zinke dropping out so close to the filing deadline suggests it was done in coordination with another candidate, saying if they're bowing out "this late they're trying to get someone else in."

Flint's campaign website and the advertisement centers around his experience as a combat veteran, which would make him one of four veterans vying for the seat. Olszewski and Democratic candidates Matt Rains and Russell Cleveland also served in the U.S. military.

Military service is often central to Montana's political campaigns, as the state has one of the highest per capita veteran populations in the nation. Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Troy Downing are also veterans.

“Commander Zinke is a great American who dedicated his life to serving our nation and delivering results for Montanans," Sheehy said in a statement following Zinke's announcement. "A fellow Navy SEAL and public servant, he has been a role model, mentor, and friend. Montana owes him a deep debt of gratitude, and he will be deeply missed in the halls of Congress.”

There is also a crowded field of Democrats who have lined up in an attempt to flip this district blue for the first time in its short history. In addition to Rains and Cleveland, 2024 gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse is running, as well as former smokejumper Sam Forstag.

The primary election is June 2.

Montana State News Bureau reporter Carly Graf contributed to this report.