Was Montana's Wild House Race A Trump Test? Not So Much

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle
Fri, 05/26/2017 - 12:40am

(AP) — Greg Gianforte spent the day of his greatest political victory out of sight, avoiding questions about the assault charge filed against him on the eve of a congressional race that some cast as a referendum on Donald Trump's presidency. [...] though, the Republican emerged Thursday night as Montana's new congressman, a comfortable win that may temper Democrats' hopes for a massive anti-Trump wave to sweep them back into power in Washington in 2018. The race ultimately turned on the weaknesses of both Gianforte and his opponent, folk singer and Democrat Rob Quist, making it tough to use as a barometer for the nation's political mood. A technology entrepreneur who was widely regarded among even Republican strategists as an imperfect candidate, Gianforte could be heard on an audio tape yelling at the reporter, Ben Jacobs of The Guardian. By the time sheriff's deputies arrived, more than half of voters had already cast their ballots in the race due to the state's mail-in voting law. While polls were open Thursday, the Republican candidate canceled television interviews and stayed out of sight. Shaun Scott, a computer science professor at Carroll College in Helena, voted for Gianforte despite the assault charge, saying it was barely a factor in his decision. Gianforte had held his party's nominee at an arm's length but during the special election, he embraced the president, welcoming Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr.

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