Ryan Zinke

Early life and education

Zinke was born in Bozeman, Montana and raised in Whitefish. He is the son of Jean Montana (Harlow) Petersen and Ray Dale Zinke, a plumber. He was a Boy Scout and earned his Eagle Scout award. 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-12 under head coach Rich Brooks. Zinke earned a B.S. in geology in 1984. 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.

Military career

Zinke served as a U.S. Navy SEAL from 1985 to 2008, retiring at the rank of commander. Zinke graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training class 136 in February 1986 and subsequently served with SEAL TEAM ONE from 1986 to 1988. His next assignment was as a First Phase Officer of BUD/S before serving with United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), from May 1991 to 1993. Zinke then served as a Plans officer for Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (CINCUSNAVEUR) and served a second tour with NSWDG as team leader, ground force commander, task force commander and current operations officer from 1996 to 1999.

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. Zinke acknowledged the error but maintains that the incident did not adversely affect his career. His promotion from lieutenant commander to commander was approved the following year.

From 1999 to 2001, Zinke served as executive officer (XO) for the Naval Special Warfare Unit Two and then as executive officer, Naval Special Warfare Center from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, Zinke was the deputy and acting commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula. 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. 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."

Zinke was awarded two Bronze Stars for meritorious service in a combat zone, four Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, and an Army Commendation Medal. Following his tours in Iraq, Zinke served "as the second-ranking officer (and briefly acting commander) of the main SEAL training center." In 2006, Zinke was selected to establish the Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training Command, serving as "Dean" of the graduate school until his retirement from active duty in 2008. The graduate school had 250 educators, offering over 43 college level courses to over 2,500 students annually at 15 different locations worldwide. He retired from the Navy in 2008.

Business ventures

In 2005, Zinke formed Continental Divide International, 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.

Montana Senate

Zinke was elected to the Montana Senate in 2008, serving from 2009 to 2013, representing the city of Whitefish. When he served in the state senate, he "was widely seen as a moderate Republican" but subsequently drifted to the right. Zinke was selected as chair of the Senate Education Committee and promoted technology in the classroom, rural access to education and local control over schools. He also served on the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. In his capacity as a Montana Senator, Zinke was also a member of the SEMA-supported State Automotive Enthusiast and Leadership Caucus, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers sharing an appreciation for automobiles.

Global warming and clean energy

In 2008, Zinke stated that he "support[s] increased coal production for electrical generation and believe[s] it can and should be done with adequate environmental safeguards," and that he "believe[s] the use of alternate energy sources and clean coal is preferred over petroleum based fuels." 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.

2012 campaign for lieutenant governor

Zinke was the running mate of Montana gubernatorial candidate Neil Livingstone in the 2012 election. 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 and paid $28,258 to Continental Divide International, Zinke's company, for fundraising consulting. Zinke announced he was resigning as Chairman of SOFA on September 30, 2013, with his friend, former Navy SEAL Gary Stubblefield taking his place. 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. 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. As of December 2016, the FEC hadn't taken any action on the matter.

2014 House election

In the spring of 2014, Zinke announced his candidacy for Montana's at-large congressional district, a seat vacated when its Republican incumbent Steve Daines successfully sought a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Zinke won a five-way Republican primary with 43,766 votes (33.25%) and faced Libertarian perennial candidate Mike Fellows and Democrat John Lewis, a former State Director for long time Democratic Senator Max Baucus, in the general election. Zinke prevailed in the general election, winning 55.4% of the nearly 350,000 votes cast statewide.

Criticism of Hillary Clinton

During the Republican primary, Zinke attracted attention for referring to Hillary Rodham Clinton as "the real enemy" and the "anti-Christ." 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.

Tenure in the House, 2015–2017

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

Education

In 2015, Zinke voted for an amendment proposed by U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) that provided for the expansion of the use of digital learning through the establishment of a competitive grant program to implement and evaluate the results of technology-based learning practices. The amendment passed 218-213.

Environmental regulation

Zinke frequently voted in opposition to environmentalists on issues including coal extraction and oil and gas drilling. He received a 4 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters.

Climate change

He has vacillated on the issue of climate change. 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." 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." During Senate confirmation hearings on his nomination as Interior Secretary, Zinke said that humans "influence" climate change, but did not acknowledge the scientific consensus that human activity is the dominant cause of climate change.

Transfers of federal lands to states

Zinke broke with most Republicans on the issue of transfers of federal lands to the states, calling such proposals "extreme" and voting against them. 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.

Condemnation of anti-Semitic views

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.

Committee assignments

2016 House election

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

Secretary of the Interior

Zinke was named as then-President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for United States Secretary of the Interior on December 13, 2016. His nomination was approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in a 16-6 vote on January 31, 2017, and he was confirmed by the Senate in a 68-31 vote on March 1. Among the U.S. Senators expressing support for Zinke's confirmation was Democratic Senator Jon Tester from Montana. Zinke was sworn into office by Vice President Mike Pence on the same day.

The day after his swearing-in, he rode a United States Park Police horse named Tonto several blocks to the entrance of the Department of Interior's Main Interior Building to his official welcoming ceremony.

Rescinded ban on lead bullets

On his first full day in office, Zinke rescinded the policy implemented on January 19, 2017, the last day of the Obama administration, by outgoing Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe that banned the use of lead bullets and lead fishing tackle in national wildlife refuges. Zinke said: "Over the past eight years … hunting, and recreation enthusiasts have seen trails closed and dramatic decreases in access to public lands across the board. It worries me to think about hunting and fishing becoming activities for the land-owning elite. This package of secretarial orders will expand access for outdoor enthusiasts and also make sure the community's voice is heard." The regulation was meant to help prevent lead contamination of plants and animals.

The move was opposed by the Humane Society of the United States, the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club. The rollback was praised by Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana), the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, the Safari Club International, the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the National Rifle Association, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

National Monument review

In April of 2017, Zinke began reviewing at least 27 national monuments to determine if any of the monuments could be reduced in size. On June 12, 2017, Zinke recommended that Bears Ears National Monument boundaries be scaled back. In August, Zinke added the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument to the planned list of monuments to be shrunk as well, while also calling for new management rules for multiple national monuments to decrease the number of actions that are prohibited within the monuments.

Personal life

Zinke is married to Lolita Hand Zinke. He has three adult children, Wolfgang, Konrad and Jennifer. In July 2017, Jennifer, who is a veteran of the United States Navy, made an Instagram post that was critical of Donald Trump's prohibition of transgender people serving in the military.

He splits his time between Washington, D.C.; Whitefish, Montana; and Santa Barbara, California, his wife's hometown. Zinke is Lutheran.