GOP candidate wins House seat day after being charged with assaulting a reporter

Republican Greg Gianforte was projected to win Montana's seat in the US House of Representatives on Thursday night, according to the Associated Press and other media outlets.

In his victory speech, Gianforte offered an apology to the reporter he was accused of assaulting the day before. Scattered cheers could be heard in the crowd as Gianforte motioned for them not to applaud.

"I should not have responded the way I did. I should not have treated that reporter that way, and for that I am sorry, Mr. Ben Jacobs," Gianforte said, referring to the Guardian reporter who said Gianforte "body-slammed" him during a campaign event the day before.

Four candidates were vying for Montana's only House seat, but two candidates were seen as the main contenders: Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist. Gianforte will take the seat previously held by Ryan Zinke, who became President Donald Trump's interior secretary in March. You can see a tally of the results below, via Decision Desk HQ, which also projected Gianforte as the winner:

Gianforte, a multimillionaire tech entrepreneur who was backed by some Republican Party heavyweights in the final weeks of the race, kept a low profile Thursday, according to local news outlets. Fewer than 24 hours earlier, the Republican candidate was charged with misdemeanor assault after the incident with the reporter.

The ordeal had little effect on election night in Montana. A statement from the office of Montana's secretary of state said nearly 70% of the ballots were cast before Election Day. Gianforte gained a significant early lead over Quist. With nearly all precincts reporting, Gianforte had more than 50% of the vote, while Quist sat at just over 43%, according to results from Decision Desk HQ.

Still, the fallout from the "body slam" incident was significant in the hours that followed. Three of Montana's biggest newspapers rescinded their endorsements of Gianforte, and Democratic lawmakers publicly scolded the GOP's candidate. The state's Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, called the candidate's altercation with a reporter "unsettling on many levels."

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan called on Gianforte to apologize, saying, "I do not think this is acceptable behavior, but the choice will be made by the people of Montana." The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Steve Stivers, said in a statement that "this was totally out of character, but we all make mistakes."

Trent Franks, the Republican representative from Arizona's 8th District, rejected Gianforte's actions but also blamed liberals.

"The left has precipitated this tense, confrontational, approach throughout the country in recent months," Franks said.

Quist is a local bluegrass musician who has pitched himself as a party outsider. Neither Quist nor Gianforte has previous experience holding public office. Gianforte unsuccessfully ran for governor of Montana in 2016.

Trump won the state by 21 points in November. Observers consider the Montana special election and others around the US as a barometer of political sentiment and a potential foreshadowing of the 2018 midterms.

GOP candidate wins House seat day after being charged with assaulting a reporter

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