HELENA, Mont. (AP) — While Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is heavily favored for re-election over a political newcomer, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke faces a tougher challenge from a seasoned campaigner as Republican incumbents seek to maintain their party’s political dominance in the Big Sky state.

Gianforte clashed with the Montana Supreme Court over laws regarding access to abortion and gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, but his first term was otherwise uncontested as he moved past a criminal case that left an early stain on his political career. in 2017 attacked a reporter with his body He’s on the eve of a special election for a U.S. House seat and has been charged with a misdemeanor. He went on to win a seat and was subsequently elected governor in 2020.

Meanwhile, Zinke is back too 2018 resignation served as secretary of the interior under former President Donald Trump, among many others ethical investigations. He was twice elected to the House of Representatives before joining Trump’s Cabinet and returned in 2022 after winning the newly created congressional district.

Gianforte is the heavy favorite over his Democratic opponent, former firearms administrator Ryan Busse. Zinke is facing a more competitive rematch against Democrat Monica Tranel, an environmental lawyer he narrowly defeated two years ago.

Opponents have sought to portray incumbents as wealthy and out of touch with ordinary Montana residents.

Gianforte praised his administration for lowering income taxes and using some of its $2.6 billion pandemic-related budget surplus to cut business taxes, provide income and property tax cuts, pay down the state’s debt and fill emergency coffers.

He also cited his $300 million investment in behavioral health, his efforts to cut government red tape, and his creation of a housing working group that will recommend legislation to increase the availability of affordable housing in Montana. One proposal that could be considered by the 2025 Legislature is to not tax a certain portion of the value of an owner-occupied home.

“I wake up every day looking for ways to help the well-being of Montanans, and we are succeeding,” Gianforte said during a recent discussion with Busse. “There’s more to be done.”

Gianforte also had a majority of Republicans in the legislature who passed bills limiting access to abortion and restricting the governor’s access to abortion. Appointing judges directly and blocking gender-affirming medical care for judges and transgender minors when midterm vacancies occur. Only the judicial appointment law has been upheld by the courts.

Busse, who is from Kalispell, supports responsible gun ownership, abortion rights, reduced property taxes and wants the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.

He said Gianforte used millions of dollars of his personal fortune to buy the governorship in 2020 and stood by as Montana became unaffordable for average citizens, especially due to rising housing costs and rising property taxes that Gianforte said he could not mitigate.

“You may not be hurting anymore; you own four mansions, you fly on a private jet,” Busse told Gianforte during the Oct. 16 debate, “but the rest of us are hurting.”

Gianforte and his wife, Susan, founded customer service software company RightNow Technologies, which was sold to Oracle in early 2012 for approximately $1.5 billion. Busse’s 2014-2023 tax returns show he and his wife earned approximately $260,000 annually over the past decade.

Gianforte won 54% of the vote in the 2020 race.

In the race to represent western Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives, Zinke says his key issues are reducing inflation and strengthening the economy, as well as strengthening border security and access to public lands.

Tranel, who lost to Zinke by 4 percentage points in the 2022 House race, said he wants to work for affordable housing, protect people’s privacy and freedom, including the right to abortion, and make communities safe, stable and secure.

If Tranel wins, she will be the second woman elected to Congress from Montana. Missoula native Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to a national office in the United States when she was elected to a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana in 1916. Rankin was re-elected to the Assembly in 1940.

Zinke’s financial disclosures as a House candidate indicate that he and his wife own properties valued between $9 million and $39 million. Tranel’s statement shows that she and her husband have retirement and other investments ranging from $4.25 million to nearly $12 million. Explanations allow reporting over a wide range of values.

A libertarian candidate received 3.8 percent of the vote in 2022. There is a Libertarian candidate again this year.

The Cook Political Report rated the Zinke-Tranel race as “weak Republican” in early October; which indicates less confidence than the previous rating of “likely Republican.”