MT-01: Democrats enter race for Congress to challenge Zinke
There’s officially less than a year to go before the 2026 midterm elections where the balance of the U.S. House will hang in the balance and could come down to just a few seats.
While a Democrat hasn’t been elected to the U.S. House in the state since Rep. Pat Williams finished his ninth term in Congress as the state’s sole representative in the late 1990s — two Democrats have launched primary campaigns for the chance to go head-to-head with Western. Rep. Ryan Zinke.
Matt Rains, of Simms, and Russ Cleveland, of St. Regis, have similar backgrounds in agriculture and as veterans.
Cleveland enlisted in the Navy and served as an aviation electrician until 2009, according to his website’s bio. Simms attended West Point and served as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Army.
https://dailymontanan.com/2025/11/21/democrats-enter-race-for-congress-to-challenge-zinke/