A Long Wait
After gaining a seat from reapportionment, Montana’s U.S. House delegation could be represented by two Republicans after the 2022 cycle for just the second time in state history and the first time in more than a century. Across the previous 80-year stretch during which the state held two U.S. House seats (1913-1993), the GOP controlled both of them for only the 67th Congress (1921-1923) with Carl Riddick and Washington McCormick. Democrats claimed both seats for nine congresses with Montana sending a split delegation to the House for the remaining 30.
Not just that, Should they also win Jon Tester’s senate seat in 2024, it would give MT an all GOP congressional delegation for the first time since 1911 and complete control of all statewide offices for the first time since 1897.
Former interior secretary Ryan Zinke, who previously represented the at-large district from 2015 to 2017, announced last month that he will run for one of the seats in 2022, likely in whichever district Rep. Matt Rosendale is not contesting.
While it isn’t unheard of for cabinet-level members to end up as senator (Brock Adams, Lamar Alexander, Clinton Anderson, James J. Davis, Elizabeth Dole, Carter Glass, Mike Johanns, Robert F. Kennedy, Mel Martínez, William G. McAdoo, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Rob Portman, Abraham Ribicoff) or governor (Cecil Andrus, James F. Byrnes, Andrew Cuomo, Mitch Daniels, Neil Goldschmidt, Howard M. Gore, W. Averell Harriman, Wally Hickel, Bill Richardson), comparatively few run for the House; the only examples I can think of are WH chiefs of staff James R. Jones and Dick Cheney and HHS secretary Donna Shalala.