Former Trump Interior Secretary Zinke returns to elected office, wins Montana House race

Republican Ryan Zinke, who served as the Interior Secretary under former President Donald Trump, has been elected to represent Montana's new House district.

After narrowly winning his primary in June – by just 1,600 votes –  Zinke beat Democrat Monica Tranel 49.7-46.4%, with 96% of ballots counted, according to The Associated Press.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, served in the House from 2015 to 2017 before he left to join Trump's Cabinet. He resigned after less than two years at the Interior Department amid several ethics investigations, two of which federal officials concluded that he lied.