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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke may edge out Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Raul Labrador as Trump’s pick for Interior secretary

Donald Trump reportedly considered Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, for the job of Interior Secretary, but media outlets were reporting late Tuesday that the job is going to Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana. (AP and Spokesman-Review)

The job of Interior secretary in the Trump Administration was reportedly offered Tuesday to a Republican member of Congress from the Northwest. But not Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Ryan Zinke, Montana’s sole member of the House of Representatives, was offered the job, several news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.

There was no official confirmation from the Trump transition team, which Tuesday announced Exxon Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson as the pick for Secretary of State and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the president-elect’s choice for Energy secretary.

But McMorris Rodgers seemed to concede that she was not expecting to be nominated to the Interior job with a post on her Facebook page, saying, it was “an honor to spend time with the president-elect and I’m energized more than ever to continue leading in Congress” – something she’d give up if she became a member of the Trump cabinet.

House Speaker Paul Ryan wrote on Twitter, “we are lucky to have her in the House.”

Many newspapers reported on Friday that McMorris Rodgers likely would be selected for Interior secretary, always quoting unnamed sources. But no formal announcement was made.

She met with President-elect Donald Trump in late November and again on Monday, several days after anonymous sources from the transition team floated her name. Those reports set off a round of speculation among Spokane politicians, with at least four – three Republicans and a Democrat – announcing plans to run for her seat if it became open.

One of those would-be replacements, state Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, complimented McMorris Rodgers and wrote “Country’s loss is E. Wash gain” on his Twitter page.

Throughout the speculation, neither McMorris Rodgers nor her staff would comment on the record about the prospects of her being offered or accepting the Interior nomination. A source familiar with her conversations with Trump said that while the brief talks included a mention of Interior, she never received an offer and did not receive any advance warning before her name was mentioned to reporters last week or before Tuesday’s reports regarding Zinke.

Early Tuesday morning, Politico reported Trump was considering Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador, who represents the North Idaho congressional district immediately to the east of McMorris Rodgers’ district, as well as Zinke of Montana. But the political news organization said the Eastern Washington Republican was still considered the front-runner.

Late in the afternoon, Politico quoted unnamed sources to say Trump had offered the job to Zinke, but the freshman congressman and former Navy Seal commander hadn’t said whether he’d take it. The Washington Post also reported Trump had selected Zinke for the post, based on information from an unnamed source.

There was no official confirmation from the Trump transition team or from Zinke.

Labrador met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Monday, and hinted afterward to reporters that they’d discussed a role for him in the new Trump administration. Labrador could not be reached for comment about the meeting.