Getting to know Montana’s 1st Congressional District candidates

Photo illustration by Getty Images.

About this profile

The Daily Montanan sent candidates in this race a list of five questions prepared by staff members. Candidates who do not appear with the rest of the candidates in the race did not submit answers to the Daily Montanan. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@dailymontanan.com

The primary for Montana’s 1st Congressional District seat offers voters a couple of familiar names — incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke and challenger Mary Todd, a small business owner and church leader.

Democrat Monica Tranel, who faced off against Zinke in the 2022 general election, is running unopposed in the primary.

In 2022, Zinke knocked out four primary challengers, but they collectively earned 58% of the GOP vote.  Zinke, also former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and former Navy SEAL, won 35,601 votes, and the others together earned 49,768. Zinke was just two points ahead of Al Olszewski, who earned 33,927 votes.

Libertarians Dennis Hayes and Ernie Noble filed for candidacy as well, but neither candidate reported any money raised in the most recent reporting period.

The Cook Political Report rates the race as likely Republican but notes the absence of a primary challenger for Tranel this year compared to 2022 helps the lawyer and former Olympic rower gain traction, as does her fundraising ability.

However, the most recent analysis also notes former President Donald Trump likely at the top of the ticket will help the GOP.

Democrat Monica Tranel

What is the biggest issue facing Montana’s western district?
Housing. Students are worried about the high cost of rent, homeowners are worried about rising property taxes and seniors are unable to find space in nursing homes. We need to get a handle on the housing crisis and lower the cost of living for those of us who are fortunate enough to call this incredible place home.

We have seen the climate and landscape of Montana affected due to climate change. What is the role of Montana’s western Congressional representative in that discussion?

To lead, and make sure that Montana’s tremendous natural resources benefit Montanans.

One example of the unique nature of western Montana is Triple Divide Peak — a hydrological apex with waters that flow into three different oceans. We are facing decreased water, hotter summers, increased droughts, reduced snowpack, longer wildfire seasons and more wildfire smoke place our economy at risk.

There are significant resources available to make the energy transition work for Montana — we can invest in our economy, our future, and our communities by implementing more distributed generation, ensuring transmission gets electrons where the load is, and that we have a safe, stable, resilient and sustainable energy system. At the same time, we must protect our wild places.

Western Montana has the resources and infrastructure to lead this economic growth. I have worked on water issues and with energy producers throughout my professional career. My experience advocating for farmers, ranchers, energy producers and everyday Montanans makes me a powerful voice for Montana in Congress, and a leader in water and energy policy. We can secure a livable future for all by investing in the energy transition and making sure Montana’s resources benefit Montanans.

As more people have moved to Montana, affordable housing and making a living have become harder for some people. How would you ease the financial burden on Montanans?

Having held housing roundtables in all 16 counties in this district, I have heard numerous solutions from the people on the front line of the housing crisis. First and foremost, I will be an educated thought partner with state and local leaders who are working to ease this crisis in our communities. This issue is my issue — I have children in school here, and my mom is in a nursing home — when people say teachers are leaving and nursing homes are closing, that is personal for me.

In terms of easing the financial burden of housing on Montanans, there are a number of different proposals to address this in the immediate, near and long term. Some of those solutions include adjusting the Area Media Income (AMI) requirements to qualify for housing built using tax credits; making sure that trailer parks are not sold out from under trailer home owners and stabilizing lot fees; investing in land trusts so that the land is not a part of the cost of a new home, making some more homes available; loosening the supply constraints by taxing second and third homes that are not lived in for a certain number of days per year; and reducing or eliminating tax deductions for second and third homes.

Congress can help Montana families afford a place to live by providing more financing for housing construction, tax credits to help young families buy homes, and by changing the tax code to discourage housing speculation.

I’ll also work to bring down everyday costs for families by holding monopolies, giant corporate interests, and prescription drug manufacturers accountable for price gouging, stopping hedge funds from buying up houses here in Montana and driving up home costs, and holding utility companies accountable for raising rates to pay for their bad business decisions.

What support are you lending, or would you lend, in Congress to priorities of Montana’s tribal leaders?

Tribal Nations have been leaders in protecting our environment, protecting instream water flow and fisheries. Here in Montana, we saw that leadership turn into action with the return of the Bison Range to the CSKT Nation —a transfer that Ryan Zinke opposed and worked to defeat. Zinke also has voted to cut social security, defund law enforcement, force people to work longer before retiring, and to slash healthcare programs, disproportionately harming Native American communities.

In contrast, I will work with our Tribal Nations to ensure that the programs needed to support our communities are put in place. I support legislation to codify the federal government’s obligations to fulfill its treaty obligations with Tribal Nations. I support implementing laws to give Native Americans meaningful access to vote. I will work to implement programs to protect Indigenous women from violence. I will work to build out reliable internet access across Tribal Nations and rural areas in our state.

Families with children are struggling in Montana. What should a child care tax credit look like?

As the mother of three daughters, I live the challenge of working and raising kids. Families in Montana face the impossible dilemma of having to work but not being able to find affordable child care. Many Montanans live in childcare deserts. In rural areas, more than a quarter of the families who need child care can’t find it. Congress must continue to support child care for working families, and particularly to extend the child tax credit, which lifted 3.4 million children out of poverty. The credit should be made fully refundable, so that low income families can benefit from it just like everyone else.

The post Getting to know Montana’s 1st Congressional District candidates appeared first on Daily Montanan.