Conservative talk radio host Aaron Flint has won the Republican primary for Montana's 1st Congressional District, earning the party's nomination in one of the state's most closely watched congressional races.

The Associated Press called the race after early returns showed Flint with approximately 52 percent of the first 39,000 votes counted. Christi Jacobsen finished a distant second with 22 percent, while Al Olszewski received 19 percent. Ray Curtis trailed with about 6 percent of the vote.

In a statement following his victory, Flint thanked his family, supporters, and a long list of political allies who backed his campaign. He specifically highlighted endorsements from President Donald Trump, members of Montana's congressional delegation, and local officials across the district.

"It is the honor of a lifetime to be chosen as the Republican nominee to represent Montana," Flint said after securing the nomination.

The race developed rapidly earlier this year when incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he would not seek reelection, citing health concerns. Zinke's decision came just days before Montana's candidate filing deadline and immediately transformed the contest into an open-seat race.

Shortly after Zinke's announcement, Flint entered the race with a strong slate of endorsements. In addition to support from Trump and Zinke, Flint also received backing from Rep. Troy Downing and Sens. Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines.

Flint built his campaign around conservative priorities and leveraged his name recognition from years in Montana talk radio. His victory demonstrates the continued influence of Trump's endorsement among Republican primary voters and solidifies his position as the GOP standard-bearer in the general election.

Montana's 1st Congressional District covers much of western Montana, including several of the state's fastest-growing communities. Republicans have generally performed strongly in the district, making Flint an early favorite heading into the November election.

With the primary now decided, Flint will turn his attention to the general election campaign as Republicans seek to maintain control of the seat following Zinke's departure from Congress.