Zinke, Tranel face off in first western district House debate

Incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke and Democratic challenger Monica Tranel faced off in their first and likely only debate before voters cast their ballots to choose Montana’s western district representative in Congress.

The event was hosted by MTN News last week in Helena and aired over the weekend. During the 30-minute debate, the candidates tussled over housing costs, border security, abortion, and Tranel showing up at Zinke’s Airbnb properties to film an ad. This is the second time in two years that Zinke and Tranel have run against each other for the western House seat. Zinke bested Tranel by four percentage points in 2022. 

This time around skyrocketing housing costs have been one of the biggest issues on the campaign trail, and it came up within moments of MTN News senior political reporter and debate moderator Jonathon Ambarian asking his first question. Tranel said she is running against Zinke again because she believes he hasn’t done enough in Congress to address the issue. 

“The issue we’re facing is housing, housing, housing. We need to solve this problem and Ryan Zinke has done nothing,” she said. “In fact, he’s profiting from it by operating two Airbnbs in Whitefish.” 

Those Airbnbs have been the subject of two different ads shot by Tranel’s campaign. Zinke has taken issue with Tranel filming the ads on his property, and that came up during the debate. 

“Monica has spent the last four years viciously and falsely attacking me … and her latest act is a violation of my home. She entered our property and filmed and jumped on our bed. Who does that?” he said. “My family no longer feels safe … in our home because Monica Tranel violated our property.” 

After that, the two candidates discussed what each would do to address housing costs, generally echoing their past statements and proposals. Zinke touted his support of the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder — or “HELPER” — Act, which he said would make it easier for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and teachers to buy a home by making them eligible for a first-time home loan with no down payment. Tranel touted her own housing plan, published earlier this year, which calls for additional community development block grants and the elimination of permanent chassis requirements for factory-built homes, which she said would lower the cost of those homes. 

Next on the docket was immigration and border security. Zinke was asked about efforts to reduce the number of migrants coming across the southern border. Zinke said the Biden administration hasn’t done enough, and then took aim at the bipartisan immigration bill that failed to pass Congress earlier this year. Proponents said it would have given U.S. Customs and Border Protection additional resources to handle the influx of migrants and made it harder to claim asylum. But opponents, including Zinke, called it an “amnesty bill” that would have let 1.8 million people into the country. 

“The border needs to be secure, the wall needs to be built, and we can’t have sanctuary cities that are safe havens for criminals,” he said. 

Tranel, who in recent weeks has been talking more about border security and drugs like fentanyl coming from Mexico, shot back that the bipartisan infrastructure bill could have helped the situation. 

“You had a chance to stop it and you didn’t,” she said. 

One of the most heated exchanges came during a question about abortion and Montana’s Constitutional Initiative 128, which if passed in November would enshrine a right to abortion in the state Constitution. Zinke said that while he is pro-life, he would not support a federal ban on the procedure. He also said he worries that the passage of CI-128 would open the door to abortion laws that are not in line with what most Montanans want. Tranel replied that Zinke’s record shows he’s always supported the most restrictive rules around abortion.

The debate took place with three weeks to go in what appears to be a tightening race. Last week, the Cook Political Report changed its race forecast from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican” after new polling suggested Tranel is closer to Zinke than previously thought. How much of a difference the debate might make is unclear, especially since it aired over a weekend when many people in western Montana were enjoying what could be one of the last warm weekends of the year.

    Democratic U.S. House candidate Monica Tranel listens during a news conference about a potential increase in utility rates, Oct. 19, 2022, in Butte, Mont. Tranel is running unopposed in the primary election, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, as she seeks to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke in the November election. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)