Ryan Zinke

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Ryan Zinke
Ryan Zinke official congressional photo (crop).jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Montana's at-large district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Steve Daines
Member of the Montana Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
January 2009 – January 2011
Preceded by Dan Weinberg
Succeeded by Dee Brown
Personal details
Born (1961-11-01) November 1, 1961 (age 55)
Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Lolita Hand
Children 3
Education University of Oregon (BS)
National University (MBA)
University of San Diego (MS)
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Navy
Years of service 1986–2008
Rank US-O5 insignia.svg Commander
Unit Naval Special Warfare Development Group.jpg SEAL Team Six
Awards Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star
Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal

Ryan Keith Zinke (born November 1, 1961) is an American politician serving as U.S. Representative for Montana's at-large congressional district. A Republican, he previously served as a member of the Montana Senate, representing Senate District 2 from 2009 to 2011.[1]

Zinke played college football at the University of Oregon and earned a bachelor's degree in geology. He also has an MBA and MS. He was a Navy SEAL from 1986 until 2008, and retired with the rank of Commander.

On December 15, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Zinke for the position of Interior Secretary in his Cabinet.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Born in Bozeman, Montana and raised in Whitefish, Zinke is the son of Jean Montana (Harlow) Petersen and Ray Dale Zinke, a plumber.[3][4][5] He was a star athlete at Whitefish High School and accepted a football scholarship to the University of Oregon in Eugene; recruited as an outside linebacker, he switched to offense and was an undersized starting center for the Ducks of the Pac-10 under head coach Rich Brooks.[6][7]

A student-athlete, Zinke earned a B.S. in geology in 1984.[8] Zinke later earned an M.B.A. from National University in 1993 and an M.S. in global leadership from the University of San Diego in 2003.[8][9]

Military career[edit]

Zinke during his service in the U.S. Navy.

Zinke served as a U.S. Navy SEAL from 1986 to 2008, retiring at the rank of commander.[10]

In the late 1990s, Zinke paid back the Navy $211 after improperly billing the government for personal travel expenses. Zinke's former commanding officer, now-retired Vice Admiral Albert M. Calland III, stated that as a result, Zinke received a June 1999 Fitness Report that blocked him from being promoted to a commanding officer position, or to the rank of captain.[11][12] Zinke acknowledged the error but maintains that the incident did not adversely affect his career.[11]

Zinke's campaign website stated that he was "the deputy and acting commander" of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Arabian Peninsula and "led a force of more than 3,500 Special Operations personnel in Iraq" in 2004.[11] Retired Major General Michael S. Repass, who was Zinke's superior in Iraq, told the New York Times that these claims "might be a stretch" but that Zinke “did a good job” and was “a competent guy."[11]

Zinke was awarded two Bronze Stars for meritorious service in a combat zone,[11][13] four Meritorious Service Medals,[13] two Joint Service Commendation Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals,[14] and an Army Commendation Medal.[14] Following his tours in Iraq, Zinke served "as the second-ranking officer (and briefly acting commander) of the main SEAL training center."[11] He retired from the Navy in 2008.[11][12]

Business ventures[edit]

In 2005, Zinke formed Continental Divide International, both a property management and business development consulting company. Zinke's family members are officers of the company. In 2009, he formed the consulting company On Point Montana. Zinke served on the board of the oil pipeline company QS Energy (formerly Save the World Air) from 2012 to 2015. In November 2014, Zinke announced that he would pass Continental Divide to his family while remaining in an advisory role.[15][16]

Political career[edit]

Montana Senate[edit]

Zinke was elected to the Montana Senate in 2008, serving from 2009 to 2011, representing Whitefish. When he served in the state Senate, he "was widely seen as a moderate Republican" but subsequently drifted to the right.[17]

In 2010, Zinke signed a letter calling global warming "a threat multiplier for instability in the most volatile regions of the world" and stating that "the clean energy and climate challenge is America's new space race." The letter spoke of "catastrophic" costs and "unprecedented economic consequences" that would result from failing to act on climate change and asked President Obama and Nancy Pelosi (then-Speaker of the House) to champion sweeping clean-energy and climate legislation.[18]

2012 campaign for lieutenant governor[edit]

Zinke was the running mate of Montana gubernatorial candidate Neil Livingstone in the 2012 election.[19] The Livingstone/Zinke ticket finished fifth out of seven in the Republican primary with 12,038 votes (8.8% of the vote).

In 2012, Zinke founded the super PAC Special Operations for America (SOFA) to support Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. The political action committee raised over $100,000[20] and paid $28,258 to Continental Divide International, Zinke's company, for fundraising consulting.[21] Zinke announced he was resigning as Chairman of SOFA on September 30, 2013, with his friend, former Navy SEAL Gary Stubblefield taking his place.[20] While Zinke's financial disclosure report for 2014 listed him as the chairman of the super PAC, the super PAC had been making independent expenditures in support of Zinke's campaign since November 20, 2013.[21] The arrangement drew comparisons to comedian Stephen Colbert's satirical PAC Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.[20] In 2014, the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission regarding coordination between Zinke's campaign and the super PAC.[21][16]

2014 House election[edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2014

In the spring of 2014, Zinke announced that he was running for Montana's at-large congressional district, a seat that became vacant when its then-incumbent Republican Steve Daines resigned in his successful U.S. Senate bid to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus.[22] Zinke won the five-way Republican primary with 43,766 votes (33.25%) and faced Libertarian Mike Fellows and Democrat John Lewis, a former State Director for Senator Baucus, in the general election. He won the general election with 56% of the vote out of over 200,000 votes cast in the statewide district.[23]

During the Republican primary, Zinke attracted attention for referring to Hillary Rodham Clinton as "the real enemy" and the "anti-Christ."[17][24] An issue that was raised in the primary race was abortion; Zinke touted his anti-abortion credentials and received the endorsement of the Montana Right to Life Association.[25]

Tenure in the House, 2015-2016[edit]

Zinke speaking at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.

In Congress, Zinke has supported the deployment of U.S. ground troops to combat ISIL, "abandoning" the Affordable Care Act, and cutting regulations.[17] He supported a Republican effort to repeal the estate tax.[26]

Zinke "frequently votes against environmentalists on issues ranging from coal extraction to oil and gas drilling" and received a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters.[27]

He has vacillated on the issue of climate change.[28] In 2010, while in the state Senate, Zinke was one of nearly 1,200 state legislators who signed a letter to President Obama and Congress calling for "comprehensive clean energy jobs and climate change legislation."[28] Since 2010, however, Zinke has repeatedly expressed doubt about anthropogenic climate change; in an October 2014 debate, Zinke stated: "it's not a hoax, but it’s not proven science either."[28]

Zinke broke with most Republicans on the issue of transfers of federal lands to the states, calling such proposals "extreme" and voting against them.[29] In July 2016, Zinke withdrew as a delegate to the Republican nominating convention in protest of a plank in the party's draft platform which would require that "certain" public lands be transferred to state control. Zinke said that he endorses "better management of federal land" rather than transfer.[30]

Zinke condemned the "anti-Semitic views" held by neo-Nazis planning a march in support of Richard B. Spencer in Whitefish, Montana in January 2017.[31]

Committee assignments[edit]

2016 House election[edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2016

Zinke ran unopposed in the Republican primary and faced Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau in the general election.[32] Zinke defeated Juneau with 56% of the vote.[33]

Secretary of the Interior[edit]

Zinke was named as President-elect Trump's planned nominee for United States Secretary of the Interior on December 13, 2016.

Electoral history[edit]

2014 Election for U.S. Representative of Montana's At-Large Congressional District
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ryan Zinke 203,871 55.41
Democratic John Lewis 148,690 40.41
Libertarian Mike Fellows 15,402 4.19
2016 Election for U.S. Representative of Montana's At-Large Congressional District [34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ryan Zinke (inc.) 285,358 56.19
Democratic Denise Juneau 205,919 40.55
Libertarian Rick Breckenridge 16,554 3.26
Total votes 507,831 100%

Personal[edit]

Zinke is married to Lolita Charlotte (née Hand).[35] They have three children.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Montana Legislature. "RYAN ZINKE (R)". Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
  2. ^ "President-Elect Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate U.S. Congressman Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior". Trump Transition. December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016. 
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119001463
  5. ^ http://www.dailyinterlake.com/members/jean-montana-harlow-petersen/article_34ad778b-908b-55f2-b371-544cbb2f6e51.html
  6. ^ Johnson, Charles S. (September 27, 2014). "U.S. House candidate profile: Ryan Zinke". Ravelli Republic. Hamilton, Montana. Retrieved December 14, 2016. 
  7. ^ "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). September 24, 1983. p. 2C. 
  8. ^ a b https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-zinke-b3b34416
  9. ^ Congress.org. "Sen. Ryan Zinke (R-MT 2nd District)". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
  10. ^ Johnson, Charles (August 9, 2014). "Zinke releases some Navy records on SEAL career; Dems seek more". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 13 April 2016. 
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Christopher Drew & Sean D. Naylor, Interior Nominee Promotes Navy SEAL Career, While Playing Down ‘Bad Judgment', New York Times (January 16, 2017).
  12. ^ a b Charles S. Johnson, Zinke's Navy records show praise, lapses over travel claims, Missoulian (October 27, 2014).
  13. ^ a b "Zinke releases some Navy records on SEAL career; Dems seek more". Montana Standard. August 10, 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2016. 
  14. ^ a b Carter, Troy (September 10, 2014). "Review of Zinke's Navy record comes out clean". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 
  15. ^ Johnson, Charles S. (July 16, 2014). "U.S. House candidate Zinke amasses more wealth than Lewis". Missoulian. 
  16. ^ a b "Ryan Zinke (MT-AL) Research Book" (PDF). NetDNA. Retrieved January 17, 2017. 
  17. ^ a b c Alan Zarembo, Does being a veteran help candidates? A Montana politician hopes so, Los Angeles Times (October 24, 2014).
  18. ^ Murphy, Tim (2016-12-14). "Trump's Interior Nominee Was for Climate Action Before He Was Against It". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2016-12-15. In 2010, as a member of the Montana Legislature, he ... asked President Barack Obama and then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to push through sweeping climate and clean-energy legislation. 
  19. ^ Johnson, Charles S. (July 10, 2011). "Livingstone taps Zinke as running mate". Billings Gazette. Retrieved March 11, 2012. 
  20. ^ a b c Redden, Molly (November 1, 2013). "GOP congressional candidate using campaign money scheme pioneered by…Stephen Colbert". Mother Jones. 
  21. ^ a b c Soo Rin Kim (December 14, 2016). "Zinke's nomination could bring questions about super PAC ties - OpenSecrets Blog". OpenSecrets. 
  22. ^ "Ryan Zinke Announces Statewide Bus Tour". 30 April 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. 
  23. ^ "Montana Election Results". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2016. 
  24. ^
  25. ^ Charles S. Johnson, Zinke’s abortion votes draw criticism, but he’s pro-life, Billings Gazette (May 4, 2014) (also published in the Missoulian).
  26. ^
  27. ^ Juliet Eilperin, Trump taps Montana congressman Ryan Zinke as interior secretary, Washington Post (December 13, 2016).
  28. ^ a b c Chelsea Harvey, Trump's pick for Interior secretary can’t seem to make up his mind about climate change, Washington Post (December 21, 2016).
  29. ^ Amy Harder & Michael C. Bender, Donald Trump Picks Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary, Wall Street Journal (December 13, 2016).
  30. ^ Lutey, Tom (July 15, 2016). "Zinke resigns delegate post over public lands disagreement; still will speak at RNC". billingsgazette.com. Billings Gazette. Retrieved July 16, 2016. 
  31. ^ Coffman, Keith; Johnson, Eric M. (December 27, 2016). "Montana Lawmakers Unite To Denounce Neo-Nazi Rally Plans". Forward. Retrieved December 29, 2016. 
  32. ^ Dennison, Mike. "Zinke and Juneau raising big bucks for U.S. House battle". KXLF. Retrieved 2 May 2016. 
  33. ^ "Election 2016 Results: Bullock Re-elected Governor, Zinke Cruises". Flathead Beacon. November 8, 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016. 
  34. ^ "2016 General Election". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 9, 2016. 
  35. ^ GOPAC. "Candidate Spotlight:Ryan Zinke". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 

External links[edit]

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Steve Daines		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Montana's at-large congressional district
2015–present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Lee Zeldin		 United States Representatives by seniority
378th		 Succeeded by
Dan Donovan
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Zinke&oldid=760727289"