HELENA — The political ripple effects from U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s decision not to run for reelection continued Tuesday, as a third Republican candidate jumped into the primary to replace him.
With only two days left to file in Montana’s 2026 elections, candidates came to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office throughout the day Tuesday – but around 11 a.m., the candidate coming in was the secretary herself, Christi Jacobsen.
Jacobsen told MTN she was surprised by Zinke’s decision not to see another term. Less than 24 hours later, she launched her own campaign for his seat in the U.S. House.
(Watch the video for the latest on how the race for the Republican nomination in Montana's western district is shaping up.)
In her first campaign video and opening news release, Jacobsen highlighted her efforts to review Montana voter eligibility, talked about affordability, immigration enforcement and energy; and sought to position herself as a political outsider.
“Before becoming our secretary of state, she'd never run for office before – wasn't part of the political crowd,” a voiceover said in her launch video. “The establishment said she couldn't win.”
Jacobsen was first elected as Secretary of State in 2020 and reelected in 2024. She had previously served as deputy secretary under Secretary of State Corey Stapleton.
A native of Helena, Jacobsen lives outside the western congressional district – though candidates for U.S. House are only required to live in the state they’re running in, not the district. Jacobsen told MTN Tuesday that she is a western Montanan to the core, and that her family has also spent a lot of time at their cabin in Granite County.
In her launch video, Jacobsen tied herself closely to President Donald Trump, including highlighting his endorsement of her 2024 reelection campaign. However, Trump announced Tuesday afternoon on Truth Social that he would be endorsing another candidate for the western district: Aaron Flint, a conservative talk radio host. Flint launched his campaign Monday and quickly secured support from many other top elected leaders, including U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, U.S. Rep. Troy Downing and Gov. Greg Gianforte.
The third Republican candidate for Zinke’s seat is Al Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and former state senator from Kalispell, who ran and narrowly lost in the 2022 western district primary.
Wednesday is the final day for anyone to file for Montana’s 2026 elections. The last chance for filing will open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.
Editor's note: This story has been updated. The original story is below:
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen has thrown her hat into the ring for the state’s Western Congressional District seat. Her announcement comes a day after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, announced he would not seek reelection.
“Montana values, proven leadership, and putting America First. Period. I’m here to serve the people, not the political establishment,” wrote Jacobsen in a press release. “I’m taking my battle-tested record from the Secretary of State’s office straight to Washington, to fight for our families, our freedoms, and our future.”
Jacobsen made it official on Tuesday, filing at her office as a Republican. She said her campaign will focus on lowering the cost of living for Montana families, completing mass deportations and securing our borders, and unleashing American energy to grow our economy.
She joins a field of already notable candidates, including longtime conservative talk radio host Aaron Flint and Al Olszewski, a former state senator and orthopedic surgeon. Much of Montana’s state-wide and federal elected leaders have already endorsed Flint. Olszewski previously ran against Zinke in the Republican primary in 2022, losing by two points.
Born and raised in Helena, Jacobsen is a graduate of Carroll College and holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Montana.
Jacobsen was first elected as Montana’s Secretary of State in 2020 and was reelected in 2024. Prior to being elected, Jacobsen served as deputy secretary to Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story.
