Ryan Zinke is running again for Office in Montana. On Instagram, he is often in Santa Barbara.

Now the developers appear to be selling the 14 acres at 95 Karrow Avenue, and touting the potential brewery and parking lot as features of the property. In January, the site was listed for $ 10 million. The land remains untapped – a patch of invasive weeds, potholes and gravel. But the listing advertises the space as a “developer’s dream” and incorporates recently approved plans for a mixed-use development, including a 4,240 square foot microbrewery and the use of 137 parking spaces in the adjacent Great Northern Veterans Peace Park. Online records show that a sale of 95 Karrow is currently pending.

It is not known who the buyer is or who will manage the brewery, if it is built, but the development could increase the value of neighboring properties owned by the Zinkes. And while the association that offered its parking space is led by Lolita – Zinke resigned from his leadership before becoming Home Secretary – he appears to continue to support his efforts: He donated $ 11,594 in remaining campaign funds to the nonprofit in December 2020, according to FEC documents.

Malmquist, the developer, told me that the Zinkes are not involved in the brewing or financially tied to the larger development. He described the project’s use of the Veterans Park as a “shared parking deal” that was established in late 2017 and said the developers would cover the costs of converting the land to park. He said he only interacted with Lolita about the parking issue. Asked about the meeting he had with Zinke in his Home Office office and a subsequent private visit Zinke gave him and Lesar at the Lincoln Memorial, Malmquist called the interactions a welcome to DC for them. other Montanais and said he did not discuss the development of 95 Karrow with Zinke while traveling.

The Zinke campaign did not respond to questions about the deal. Lesar could not be reached for comment. The 95 Karrow real estate agent did not respond to requests for comment.

Some Montanais I have spoken with argue that Zinke has become a part of Washington’s great revolving door, more invested in her return to DC and the connections she has offered him than he is in serving it. ‘State. But Zinke’s supporters say his business connections and history in Washington won’t take anything away from his campaign. “I think the general impression was that Trump was hounded from day one, and all of the appointees were hounded from day one, so I don’t think that will impact Zinke’s run,” he said. said the former Montana Republican elected official who asked no to be named. “To my knowledge, none of these charges have been successful.”

“If you knew nothing about voters in Montana and Montana, all you have to do is remember that Greg Gianforte” – then House candidate, now governor – “slammed a journalist’s body within days before her [congressional] election and probably picked up 5 points, ”added Senator Kevin Cramer (RN.D.), the first member of Congress support Zinke in the current campaign. “So there is this western independent cowboy spirit. “

A feeling of uncertainty surrounds the race to Montana 2nd District for reasons other than Zinke’s residence or business connections. On the one hand, the district lines will not be officially drawn until early next year – and it is possible that Zinke will end up in the uncomfortable position to run against current Montana congressman, Republican Matt Rosendale, who lives in the eastern part of the state.

The GOP is in favor of maintaining the East-West divide that existed the last time Montana had two representatives in the House in the 1990s, which Republicans say better reflects local identity. This setup would likely give Montana two GOP wins and could in turn give National Republicans another seat in the House. But Montana Democrats are pushing to prune Flathead County, home to Whitefish and the dark red town of Kalispell, to make it part of the Eastern District. This would push Zinke into the Rosendale district and give the Democratic candidates – Cora Neumann, State Representative Laurie Bishop and lawyer Monica Tranel – a better chance of winning the West District.

Bob Brown, a former Whitefish-based Republican Montana Senate Speaker who helped Zinke get his start in state politics, says Zinke is a “strong enough precursor” to the new 2nd District if he understands the Flathead County. But, Brown pointed out, “Zinke barely beat Rosendale in his first Congressional primary.” Swift, Zinke’s campaign consultant, said Zinke is planning to run in the district he lives in and is not planning a Rosendale primary.

There aren’t any good polls for the race yet, but Zinke faces competition left and right. His Democratic opponents hope the state can embrace its more purple past. Montana had a Democratic governor until recently and still has a Democratic U.S. Senator, and it has one of the highest ticket-sharing rates of any state. Neumann recently said he raised $ 469,000 in the third quarter of the year; Tranel brought in $ 244,000; and Bishop brought in $ 117,000.