Flint wins GOP nomination for western Montana's US House seat

On Monday evening, President Donald Trump reupped his endorsement of Montanan Aaron Flint as his preferred choice for the state’s western U.S. House seat, and 24 hours later The Associated Press called the race for Flint.

Flint had 50% of the total as of Wednesday morning, leading Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Al Olszewski with 23% and 20% respectively. 

Speaking from the Flathead Valley, Flint said the quick race call  — “we still got daylight outside” — speaks to the strength of the endorsements and support his campaign had from President Donald Trump and Rep. Ryan Zinke.

“This is where my family homesteaded, and I’ll tell you what, we have got to unite in fight to save Western Montana because whoever comes out of this Democrat primary, they’re going to try to turn Western Montana into one of these West Coast cities that they’ve absolutely destroyed,” Flint said. “So, we’ve got to unite the Democrats, Republicans, and people who could care less about any of these politicians. I want my kids to have the same opportunities here in Western Montana that so many of us have gotten to have, and that’s where we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight to make the Montana Dream affordable again all the way through November.”

Montana’s western District, the state’s second U.S. House seat following redistricting after the 2020 census, was initially expected to be a straightforward affair for Republicans, as two-term incumbent  Zinke, a former secretary of the Interior in Trump’s first term, was widely expected to run for reelection. 

But the popular, longtime lawmaker from the Flathead Valley declined to run in early March and immediately endorsed Flint, who launched a full-fledged campaign almost immediately after Zinke’s announcement. Flint picked up endorsements from Trump, the state’s federal delegation, governor and most statewide elected officials within 24 hours. 

Olszewski joined the race, saying he had already intended to challenge Zinke. The former state lawmaker and head of the Flathead County Republican Central Committee had sought the Republican nomination against Zinke in 2022, coming within a few thousand votes of winning. 

Jacobsen is serving her second term as Montana’s secretary of state, and in her elections in 2020 and 2024, she earned more votes than any candidate on the ballot — including President Trump.