Republicans held onto Montana's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday night, even after GOP nominee Greg Gianforte was cited for misdemeanor assault against a reporter hours before the polls opened.
Rob Quist, a Democrat from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, proved a prodigous fundraiser by collecting nearly $7 million from the left-wing grassroots. But it wasn't enough for the cowboy hat-wearing folksinger to prevail in a state President Trump won handily last year.
The race was called shortly after midnight, when Gianforte was winning just over 50 percent of the vote to less than 44 percent for Quist. Libertarian Party nominee Mark Wicks took nearly 6 percent.
It's a big comeback for Gianforte, who lost a bid for governor of Montana last year, but an even bigger victory for national Republicans trying to stave off perceptions that Trump is leading the party over a cliff ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
The race is important because it is one of several special elections in Republican-leaning districts that preview how much ground the GOP will be forced to defend next year. So far, Republicans have underperformed in these contests but they have yet to lose to the Democrats.
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05.07.2024