BILLINGS — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says he won’t run for Montana governor in 2020.
Zinke told KBUL-AM Friday that he’s not going to enter the race. He says there are exciting candidates who will be running and that he plans to continue his job at the Interior Department.
The former congressman and state lawmaker from Whitefish had been considered a possible contender for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
When asked for confirmation, Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift told The Associated Press that she can’t comment on campaigns, “but you should trust the secretary’s very definitive answer.”
Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is in his final term, giving Republicans a chance to take back a seat that they haven’t held since 2005.
Republican Attorney General Tim Fox has said he’s considering running for the open seat.