It was neck and neck Tuesday as early vote counts came in the primary among five Democratic candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives race.
Former state lawmaker Kathleen Williams of Bozeman and attorney John Heenan of Billings each had 33 percent of the vote with 17 percent of the ballots tallied by press time. Williams had a lead of 111 votes with 29 percent of the ballots counted as of 11 p.m.
The winner will face GOP incumbent Greg Gianforte in the Nov. 6 general election.
Other candidates were former land trust director Grant Kier of Missoula, Whitefish attorney Jared Pettinato and Bozeman attorney John Meyer.
Williams, 57, served three terms in the state House of Representatives and has served as associate director of the Western Landowners Alliance.
Heenan, 41, was appointed special attorney general to represent the state in litigation. He is a Consumer protection attorney and small business owner.
Former state lawmaker Lynda Moss may have had an impact on the primary. She withdrew from the race in April after sluggish fundraising. Her name remained on Tuesday's ballot and she had received about 5 percent of the vote in early returns. Six candidates were listed on Tuesday's ballot.
The last Democrat to serve in the U.S. House was Pat Williams, who left in 1997 after serving 18 years.
Gianforte is running for his first full term after having won a special election in June 2017 when the seat was vacated by fellow Republican Ryan Zinke, who became secretary of the interior for Trump.
Gianforte has portrayed himself as a Washington outsider who wants to “drain the swamp,” saying members of Congress should not be paid if they do not pass a balanced budget. He has also called for term limits and wants members of Congress to be banned from becoming lobbyists once they leave office.
Also running are Green Party Candidate Doug Campbell and Libertarian Elinor Swanson.
Gianforte had little time to bask in victory as he faced an assault charge for an attack on a reporter on the eve of the special election. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.
In May, the Montana Democratic Party formally requested a congressional ethics investigation into statements Gianforte made after the attack stating the reporter was the instigator.
Opponents accuse Gianforte of being aloof to his constituents by rejecting open-forum town halls in favor of scripted appearances, and of towing Trump's and the GOP's agenda even when it's to the detriment of Montana.
Gianforte backers like the National Republican Congressional Committee say he puts the interests of his constituents at the forefront of every issue.
At a May forum in Great Falls hosted by Great Falls Rising, all candidates were critical of President Donald Trump’s tax reform package, with Kier referring to it as a “tax scam, not a tax plan.”
“We need a tax plan that helps working families and small businesses,” he said, noting the plan passed in December helps the rich and large corporations.
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