Longtime Montana energy attorney and Democrat Monica Tranel on Monday announced she’ll challenge Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke for the state’s western congressional district next year.
Tranel lost to Zinke in 2022 by three points. In a statement, Tranel said, in part, “It’s time to elect someone to Congress who’s going to prioritize people who actually live and work in Montana.”
Tranel previously ran for a seat on the Public Service Commission in 2020 and lost to Republican Jennifer Fielder by a margin of 4%.
Tranel’s been in private practice for more than a decade and has also worked for the Montana Consumer Counsel, which advocates for the interests of consumers of regulated utilities.
