Dem candidate exposes GOP rep’s Airbnb in new ad — which he rents out for $16K a month
The cost of living remains a major issue for American voters heading into the November election. And one Democrat hoping to unseat an incumbent Republican may have hit a nerve with her latest campaign ad.
In a new 30-second ad posted to her official X (formerly Twitter) account, Monica Tranel — a plaintiffs' attorney and former Olympic athlete — booked the Airbnb owned by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana), who she is hoping to unseat this fall. She showcased the average-sized home and its mediocre fixtures as an example of Zinke "buying up properties across Montana and jacking up the rent."
"$16,000 a month for this place," Tranel said, before showing a clip of her yelping when the rental's Murphy bed fell out of its wall compartment.
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"Housing profiteers like Ryan Zinke are the reason it's so expensive to live here," she added.
In the ad, Tranel showed an Airbnb listing entitled "Our Montana Retreat at Bay Point on Whitefish Lake," which is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home listed by a host named "Lolita" (Lolita Hand is Zinke's wife). In the ad, the cost breakdown shows an "accommodation" cost of $16,800, a cleaning fee of $200 and an Airbnb service fee of $1,537 for a month-long stay, with a "monthly stay discount" of $2,520 for a total pre-tax cost of $16,017 for one month.
When attempting to book the rental for the month between March 5 and April 5, 2025, AlterNet found an accommodation cost of $18,600, a $200 cleaning fee and a $732 service fee. However, the "monthly stay discount" now shows $11,904 for those dates, suggesting Zinke or his wife may have adjusted the listing since Tranel released her ad.
"This retreat comfortably sleeps 8, featuring two Murphy beds for added flexibility," the listing reads. "Complete with a fully equipped kitchen, with luxurious furnishings throughout. Welcome to your perfect Whitefish getaway!"
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The median home price in Montana is much larger than the national average, with Realtor.com pegging that figure at $624,950 — well above the U.S. median home price of $420,000. And that price can fluctuate depending on which city in the Big Sky State a potential homebuyer is hoping to land. The median home price in Billings is $439,000, while the median climbs to as high as $889,000 in Bozeman. Median monthly rents in those cities are at $1,350 and $2,300, respectively.
According to a January article in the Great Falls Tribune, home prices in Montana have grown by 105% since 2017. The Montana Department of Commerce wrote in a study that homeownership for the state's low-income and middle-class residents is a "near impossibility" given the explosion in housing costs.
Watch Tranel's ad below, or by clicking this link.
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