Trump Taps Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke To Lead Interior Department

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.

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Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke to be his Interior Secretary, according to multiple news reports. NPR has not independently confirmed those reports.

Zinke is a first-term congressman and a former Navy SEAL commander who served in Iraq and was awarded two Bronze Stars. He was re-elected to a second term last month with 56 percent of the vote.

In the House, the Republican lawmaker serves on the Natural Resources committee and has split with his party before to defend public access to federal lands. Zinke resigned his position this summer as a delegate to the Republican National Convention after the GOP platform supported transferring federal public lands to the states.

“What I saw was a platform that was more divisive than uniting,” Zinke told the Billings Gazette in July. “At this point, I think it’s better to show leadership.”

Zinke still spoke at the convention in Cleveland in support of Trump, whom he endorsed last May.

However, Zinke is overall not praised by environmentalists. He has just a 3 percent voting record with the League of Conservation Voters and is a supporter of coal, oil and gas exploration. He also backs building the Keystone XL pipeline.

Zinke has a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Oregon, where he played on the football team.

If Zinke accepts the position and is confirmed by the Senate, it could be a setback for Republican hopes to knock off Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in 2018. Tester is a top GOP target and Zinke was considered to be a strong challenger to the Democratic incumbent. Zinke confirmed a few weeks ago that he was considering a bid.

In theory, Zinke could still serve but resign early to campaign back in Montana, and even use the position to boost his credentials against Tester. Still, for what’s seen as one of the top opportunities for Republicans in two years, the lack of time to build a campaign and raise funds would be a setback.

Trump had also considered House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to lead the Interior Department, and many believed she was the likely pick, but a source close to the congresswoman said Tuesday those reports were driven by the transition team and that she did not receive an offer or a call from the president-elect this evening. In a Facebook post, McMorris Rodgers said said it was an honor to meet with Trump last week but that she was looking forward to continuing in Congress, where she’s the highest-ranking woman in GOP leadership.