Scott Thompson

Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Republican Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist on Thursday night in a race for Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House, despite being charged Wednesday with assaulting a reporter.

After clinching the win, Gianforte apologized to the reporter, saying he "learned a lesson."

Gianforte told the crowd celebrating his victory: “I should not have responded the way I did and for that I am sorry.”

The Associated Press called the race for Gianforte shortly after 10:30 p.m. MT.

With 301,231 votes counted, Gianforte was up 50% to 44% with an edge of 151,021 votes to 132,555 for Quist, according to the Secretary of State website.

Libertarian Mark Wicks had 6% the vote with 17,655 votes.

There were reports of long lines Thursday at polling places in Browning, but Glacier County Clerk and Recorder Glenda Hall said it was no busier than she expected.

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“I’ve learned my electors wait until the last minute,” she said.

Hall said there was a line at 8 p.m. when polls closed in Browning, but her staff members let everyone who was in line at the time in the doors and then locked them so everybody got to vote.

At a little after 8:30, that line was down to just a few people, she said.

Gianforte, a technology entrepreneur, jumped into headlines across the U.S. Wednesday night after political reporter Ben Jacobs accused him of "body slamming" him during an attempted interview. Audio of the altercation soon surfaced and Jacobs' account of the incident was backed up by Fox News reporters who witnessed it.

Jacobs works out of Washington, D.C., for the Guardian, a daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin, who acknowledged he had donated $250 to Gianforte's campaign, charged the candidate with misdemeanor assault.

Two of the state's newspapers rescinded their endorsements of Gianforte, but that may not have had much of an impact since many voters had already cast their ballots in early voting or via absentee ballot.

The House seat, which opened when President Trump named Rep. Ryan Zinke to lead the Interior Department, has been Republican-held for two decades in a state Trump won in November by 20 points.

Gianforte’s campaign was boosted by rallies featuring Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. plus millions of dollars in ads by Republican groups.

On the Democrats' side, former presidential candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned for Quist, a musician and first-time candidate, hoping to capitalize on a wave of activism following Trump's election.

In conceding Thursday night, Quist told supporters he called Gianforte and stressed the need to listen to all Montanans.

Quist said he was “sure that Montanans will hold Mr. Gianforte accountable.”

Contributing: Heidi Przybyla, USA TODAY, and The Associated Press.