Montana's At-Large Congressional District special election, 2017

U.S. House, Montana At-Large Special Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Greg Gianforte	50%	190,520
	Democratic	Rob Quist	44.4%	169,214
	Libertarian	Mark Wicks	5.7%	21,682
Total Votes				381,416
Source: Montana Secretary of State

2018 → ← 2016

Montana's At-Large Congressional District

General Election Date May 25, 2017

Election Winner: Greg Gianforte

Incumbent prior to the election: Ryan Zinke

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Likely R Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely R Rothenberg & Gonzales: R Favored

2017-2018 Special Elections

The At-Large Congressional District of Montana held a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives on May 25, 2017.

The election was held to replace Ryan Zinke (R), who was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior on March 1, 2017.

Republican Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks, earning more than 50 percent of the vote. Gianforte was sworn in as a member of the United States House of Representatives on June 21, 2017.

Primary elections were not held in the race. Instead, party leaders chose the nominees at conventions. Democrats selected musician Rob Quist at the party's convention on March 5, 2017, while Republicans nominated businessman Greg Gianforte at the party's convention on March 6, 2017. A third candidate, Libertarian Mark Wicks, was also on the ballot.

Ballotpedia compiled the following resources to help voters better understand the policy positions of the candidates prior to the general election on May 25, 2017:

• An overview of each candidate's career and policy priorities;
• Background information about each candidate's policy positions, campaign themes, and debate performance; and
• The politicians and influencers involved in the race, including those releasing ads and fundraising.

Although Montana's At-Large District seat was held by a Republican continuously from 1997, with former incumbent Ryan Zinke winning election in 2014 and 2016 by roughly 15 points, the race garnered significant national attention and fundraising. In the final week of the election alone, Quist announced that he had received $1 million, bringing his total campaign contributions to $6 million. The pro-Democrat House Majority PAC also spent $125,000 on ad buys for the election's final week. Outside organizations backing Gianforte like the Congressional Leadership Fund have spent $7 million on ad buys—approximately $4 million more than Democratic outside groups.

On May 24, 2017, the eve of the election, Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly slammed a reporter to the ground and punched him. The Gianforte campaign refuted the reporter's account in a statement.

HIGHLIGHTS

This was the third congressional election to occur since the 2016 elections and was expected to be one of the more competitive special election races.

President Donald Trump won Montana by a margin of 20.6 percent in 2016. This represents an increase in the relative support for the Republican nominee from the previous two presidential elections. Mitt Romney (R) won the district by 13.7 percent in 2012, and John McCain (R) won the district by 2.2 percent in 2008.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
N/A	N/A	May 25, 2017

Montana has a single at-large congressional district, which makes up the entire state.

Results

U.S. House, Montana At-Large Special Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Greg Gianforte	50%	190,520
	Democratic	Rob Quist	44.4%	169,214
	Libertarian	Mark Wicks	5.7%	21,682
Total Votes				381,416
Source: Montana Secretary of State

General election candidate overviews

Rob Quist (D)

Career musician and small business owner Rob Quist announced his candidacy for the open Montana seat on January 4, 2017. Describing his qualifications for the office, Quist said, "I have worked with our state government and many of our state’s organizations and citizens to promote harmony, cooperation and a common vision for our state. I feel that I am uniquely qualified for this role because I have spent a lifetime traveling the state working with and getting to know the concerns and the needs of my fellow Montanans.” He was appointed by Govs. Brian Schweitzer (D) and Steve Bullock (D) to serve on the Montana Arts Council.

On his campaign website, Quist listed the following issues as some of his policy priorities: protecting the Affordable Care Act, capping student loan interest rates at three percent, opposing the defunding of Planned Parenthood, honoring tribal sovereignty, and overturning Citizens United. In an April 2017 interview with The Billings Gazette, Quist called the sale of public lands the defining issue of the race.

Greg Gianforte (R)

Tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte announced his intention to run for Congress on January 25, 2017, saying in a statement, "This race will be ground zero and the first official battle waged by the Democrats to stop the Trump/Republican agenda. I simply will not stand by and allow that to happen." He previously ran for governor of Montana in 2016, losing to incumbent Steve Bullock (D) by approximately 4 percentage points. Gianforte identified ending trade deals that harm American workers, protecting coal and timber jobs, repealing the Affordable Care Act, safeguarding Medicare benefits, and supporting term limits as issues he would like to address if elected. He said during a talk at a local Republican event, "I think voters are sick and tired of career politicians, and I would offer the refreshing change of somebody who knows what it’s like to start and grow a business here in Montana."

Mark Wicks (L)

Rancher Mark Wicks won the Libertarian Party's nomination at its first-ever state convention in Montana in March 2017. Describing himself during a debate, Wicks said, “I’m the work truck. I’m the guy, when you’re pulled over on the side of the road, and you’re broke down, you want to see that big pickup pull up behind you that has the tow ropes, the chains, the tools – everything to get the job done.” Wicks identified addressing the nation's debt problem and preserving Social Security as his top priorities on his campaign website. He also listed school choice, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and using conservation easements when public land is sold as other positions he supports. The Second Amendment is a critical policy area for Wicks, who said, "I’m probably the biggest supporter of the Second Amendment there ever has been running for this office. I believe in this case, your right to bear arms is actually more important than the Constitution."

Candidates

General election candidates:

Greg Gianfortea
Rob Quist
Mark Wicks

Convention candidates:

Democratic

Amanda Curtis - State rep.
Kelly McCarthy - State rep.
John Meyer
Lee Neimark
Rob Quist - Musician a
Gary Stein
Thomas Weida
Dan West

Republican

Ed Buttrey - State sen.
Greg Gianforte a
Carl Glimm - State rep.
Eugene Graf - Businessman
Ken Miller - Former state sen.
Drew Turiano - Real estate agent
Edward Walker - Former state sen.

Third Party/Other

Chris Colvin
Evan Gardner
Rufus Peace
James White
Mark Wicks a

Withdrew:
Casey Schreiner (D) - State rep.
Scott Sales (R) - State sen.

Election news

Mail-only voting

Governor Steve Bullock (D) used his "amendatory veto" power on an election bill to add in a section which stated, "the 2017 special election to fill the vacancy in the office of the United States representative for Montana may be conducted by mail." Bullock said of his decision, "I take seriously my responsibility to strengthen our democracy by helping make sure that more eligible citizens can participate in that democracy, not fewer. And what is better for democracy than to put a ballot in the hands of every registered voter?" Lindsey Singer, the spokeswoman for Republican state House leadership, responded to the governor's move, "It's unfortunate that he's trying to use his power to shoehorn a completely different piece of legislation into a simple cleanup bill that has already moved through the process."

Using all-mail ballots was predicted to save counties up to $750,000 in election costs. Senate Bill 305, an earlier bill proposing balloting by mail was defeated in the state House in March 2017 after it passed the Senate in February. Following the bill's passage in the Senate, Montana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Essmann predicted that the bill would help the Democratic Party. He wrote, "I know that my position will not be popular with many fiscally conservative Republican County commissioners or the sponsor of HB 305. They may be well intended, but this bill could be the death of our effort to make Montana a reliably Republican state."

In order for the governor's changes to have taken effect, both chambers of the state legislature would have needed to approve of them. This did not happen, as Republican House Speaker Austin Knudsen refused to schedule a floor vote on the revised bill, effectively killing it.

Ballot access lawsuit

Potential candidates Thomas and Danielle Breck and Steve Kelly filed a lawsuit against Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton in an attempt to get on the ballot. The plaintiffs claimed that there was not enough time to gather the required 14,000 signatures to get onto the ballot. Danielle Breck argued, "We were left with a situation where Montana law would have required independent and minor party candidates to collect more than 14,000 signatures in a matter of five or six days -- less than a week. That's just clearly untenable in a state as wide and as big as Montana, so we didn't feel like we had fair access to the ballot." The case was heard on April 4, 2017.

A ruling was given on April 8, 2017, lowering the number of required signatures to get on the ballot from roughly 14,200 to 400. Judge [[Brian Morris]] wrote of his ruling, "The Court determines that Montana’s 5 percent signature requirement for a special election severely burdens the constitutional rights of ballot access for independent candidates and minor party candidates. The state’s interest in seeking to impose order on the election process must give way to a candidate’s right to ballot access in light of the truncated timeframe to gather signatures, the prohibitive costs of such a concentrated signature gathering process, and the other unique problems posed by special elections." However, Morris did not order the candidates names to be added to the ballot. As a result, the original ballot did not change.

Incident between Gianforte and Guardian reporter

On May 24, 2017, Ben Jacobs, a reporter from The Guardian, alleged that Greg Gianforte slammed him to the floor and broke his glasses during an interview at the candidate's campaign headquarters. Gianforte's campaign released the following statement about the incident:

“	Tonight, as Greg was giving a separate interview in a private office, The Guardian's Ben Jacobs entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face, and began asking badgering questions. Jacobs was asked to leave. After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.	”
—Shane Scanlon, Gianforte campaign spokesman

In her account of the incident, Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna wrote, "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. ... To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies." In an interview the following day, Acuna clarified, "I saw both his hands go up not around his neck in a strangling type of way, but more just on on each side of his neck, just grabbed him. I guess it could have been on his clothes, I don’t know. I can’t say that for sure. But he grabbed him and slammed him down. ... He had one hand on each side of his neck. So I guess, yeah … it was on top of his, right under his head."

The Gallatin County sheriff announced that Gianforte had been charged with misdemeanor assault. After Gianforte won the election on May 25, 2017, he offered an apology to Jacobs during his victory speech. He said, "When you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. That’s the Montana way. Last night I made a mistake and I took an action that I can’t take back and I’m not proud of what happened. I should not have responded in the way that I did and for that I am sorry."

As part of an out-of-court settlement with Jacobs, Gianforte pledged to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists on June 7, 2017. He wrote in an apology letter to Jacobs, "I acknowledge that the media have an obligation to seek information. I also know that civility in our public discourse is central to a productive dialogue on issues. I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy. You were doing your job."

Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on June 12, 2017, and was sentenced to complete 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management classes and pay a $385 fine. He also received a six-month deferred jail sentence to be suspended upon completion of his probation.

Voter turnout

Between 55 percent and 75 percent of registered voters in Montana have voted in general elections since 2006. In 2010, the last year that the ballot's only statewide race was for the House, voter turnout was comparatively depressed at 56 percent.

Approximately the same number of absentee ballots were mailed out for this special election as in the 2016 general election. Two days before the election 250,000 absentee ballots—70 percent those mailed out—had been returned. In general elections since 2006, 88 percent to 96 percent of absent ballots were returned.

Policy issues

Current events

American Health Care Act of 2017

See also: American Health Care Act of 2017

After a revised version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 passed the U.S. House on May 4, 2017, both Gianforte and Quist were asked to comment on the bill's provisions and the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Quist told Montana Public Radio, "I wasn’t privy to all the dialog in D.C., but it sounds like they’ve got something done. I look forward to studying it. I’ve been really clear that any repeal and replace had to do three things: get premiums down, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and protect rural access for Montanans." Gianforte opposed the first version of the bill, which failed to reach a vote in March, because he did not believe it would reduce premiums.

In a conference call with donors, Gianforte said that he was thankful the House passed the bill. Gianforte's campaign manager clarified on May 6, 2017, "[Gianforte is] thankful we are in the process of repealing Obamacare, because he believes we must repeal and replace Obamacare before it collapses. But he couldn't have voted for a bill without knowing what is in it and how it effects Montanans."

Quist said that the ACA should be strengthened rather than repealed and administrative costs reduced. "I think a lot of it is just the sheer bureaucracy, and if you have a system that is more like a Medicare system, that's one way. And not to have so many insurance companies would kind of make that happen that way," he said. Quist added, however, that competition could reduce costs, saying, "I think that one of the things that probably is driving the price up is having fewer insurance companies. I think competition is always, as you know, makes makes [sic] prices a lot better than having fewer to kind of run a monopoly."

Investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election

See also: Investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election

After the Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel tasked with overseeing the FBI's investigation into possible Russian interference in U.S. politics on May 17, 2017, all three general election candidates commented on the matter through representatives or statements:

• Tina Olechowski, Quist's communications director, said that Quist has been calling for an independent investigation into the matter and that he approved of Mueller's appointment.
• Gianforte spokesman Shane Scanlon declined to directly comment on the appointment. He said of the various probes into Russian interference, "We absolutely do need to get to the bottom of this."
• Wicks called the appointment "the right thing." He continued, "I hope the truth comes out one way or another."

Campaign themes

Greg Gianforte

The following issues are listed on Gianforte's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Putting Montana First: Overregulation is strangling our economy and making it difficult for Montanans to thrive. Our coal and timber jobs have been hit particularly hard. I’ll work to rein in the job-killing regulations and end senseless Washington, D.C. policies that are harming Montana job creators. I’ll stop the terrible trade deals that have hurt our economy and send jobs to places like China. I’ll always stand up for American and Montana jobs. Montana Jobs: Let’s get Washington out of the way so our economy can prosper, high-paying jobs can be created, and our Montana way of life can be protected. I’ll work to rein in the out-of-touch Washington, D.C. regulations that are holding back small businesses and killing jobs. I’ll fight to protect our coal and timber jobs. And I’ll work toward commonsense solutions that encourage job creation and help Montanans get back to work in the state that we all love so Montanans don’t have to leave our great state. Standing Up for our Veterans: Montana is home to thousands of brave men and women who have selflessly served our nation in the Armed Forces. Our veterans gave so much to defend our country, but too often, Washington, D.C. has failed them. As your Representative, I’ll protect the promises our country has made to our veterans. I’ll work to bring accountability to the VA and ensure that our veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve. Defending our 2nd Amendment Rights: The Second Amendment isn’t about hunting – it’s about our Montana way of life and our freedoms guaranteed to us in our Constitution. As a lifelong sportsman and life member of the NRA, I will always protect our Second Amendment rights. There is nothing confusing about “shall not be infringed.” You can count on me to stand up to the liberal special interests and defend Montanans’ Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Protecting Access to Public Lands: Montana’s public lands are second to none. As an avid outdoorsman, Susan and I have raised our four kids in Montana hiking, fishing, hunting, climbing, rafting and skiing on Montana’s public lands. That’s why as your Representative, you can count on me to fight back against the liberal elites’ War on the West. I’ll defend our right to hunt, fish and recreate on public lands. I won’t let Washington bureaucrats lock us out. I’ll always protect our public lands because they should stay in public hands.	”
—Greg Gianforte's campaign website

Rob Quist

The following issues are listed on Quist's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Jobs/Economy: Born and raised on the Quist family ranch in Cut Bank, Rob learned that nothing gets done without hard work and commitment. In Congress he’ll fight for Montana families by working to invest in infrastructure and Montana’s manufacturing industry and reform the tax code so that it works for small business owners and rural communities. Public lands: Rob is a lifelong outdoorsman who opposes any attempts to transfer Montana’s public lands to private hands. He believes public lands are our state’s single greatest asset, and must be protected for future generations. Farmers and Ranchers: As the son of a Montana rancher and dry land wheat farmer, Rob knows first-hand that agriculture is the backbone of our economy– with nearly 28,000 farms and ranches across the state. Rob will be a strong voice for ag in Washington, D.C, working to advance agriculture by investing in technology and product marketing, and scrutinizing trade agreements. Tax Reform: As a small business owner and entrepreneur, Rob understands the burden of an unfair tax system that makes it harder for small business owners to thrive. He will make tax reform a priority, working to close tax loopholes for corporations that ship American jobs overseas and rewriting the tax code to support Montana’s small businesses, workers and families. Social Security and Health Care: Rob stands with seniors and will protect Social Security and Medicare. Seniors have worked hard and paid into these systems for their entire lives– and should never have to worry about losing these crucial programs.	”
—Rob Quist's campaign website

Mark Wicks

The following issues are listed on Wicks' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Education: Wicks is committed to ensuring the excellence of our schools. His four children attended public schools and he is proud of the educations they received. Wicks is also committed to minimizing federal interference in education so that states are free to manage and innovate thriving public, alternative, and private schools. Wicks supports school choice, believing that parents know their children best and should be free to choose among quality alternatives. Debt & The Budget: Wick’s top priority is curbing the federal budget to cut our national debt. We are $20 trillion in debt and pay $14,000 in interest every second. If we don’t start cutting the budget, every program will be in jeopardy, even core federal responsibilities like national defense. Health Care: As a constitutional libertarian, Wicks believes the federal government has no constitutional authority to require people to buy health insurance. As a congressman, he would vote to rollback the Affordable Care Act. Left in place, it will continue devastating the health care sector and the business sector. Social Security: Wicks knows that for far too many retirees, Social Security is the only retirement funds they will receive. 'For many farmers and ranchers,' Wicks says, 'it is the only way they can retire and pass the farm down to the next generation.' That is why his highest priority as a congressman is reducing the debt to keep Social Security stable for this generation and the next. Social security is not a handout. You paid for it, you deserve to get it! Land Management: As a farmer and rancher, Wicks cares about the land and wants to manage it to get the most benefit from it now while preserving it for future generations. He’s appalled by the conditions our forests are in, and believes we need to manage our forests to keep them healthy. 'Logging burned and beetle kill timber is just good management,' Wicks says. 'If the federal government isn’t going to manage our lands well, Montana can and should.'	”
—Mark Wicks' campaign website

Spending

Fundraising after May 5

According to the campaign for Democrat Rob Quist, the campaign raised a total of more than $6.0 million dollars ahead of the May 25 special election, including $1.0 million in a five-day period. The campaign for Republican Greg Gianforte told The Associated Press, for a story published May 23, that their total fundraising had reached $4.6 million, including a $500,000 loan from Gianforte himself. That loan was in addition to a previous loan to his campaign of $1.0 million.

May report

The May FEC reports showed that Democrat Rob Quist outraised Republican Greg Gianforte between April 3 and May 5, 2017. Quist has raised a total of about $3.3 million, while Gianforte has raised about $2.3 million. Including a $1.0 million loan that Gianforte made to his own campaign, the total available funds for the two candidates was about equal, at $3.3 million. Candidate expenditures were also comparable, at about $2.6 million. Gianforte leads in cash on hand, with $826,128 compared to Quist's $668,995.

May FEC Report - Cycle-to-date
Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Greg Gianforte	$2,286,897	$2,580,852	$826,128
Rob Quist	$3,263,211	$2,558,279	$668,995

• Itemized contributions: Candidates are required to submit itemized reports that disclose all individual donors who contribute $200 or more. Data collected through May 5, 2017, by the Federal Election Commission indicated that Democrat Rob Quist and Republican Greg Gianforte had raised a total of about $3.3 million each. Of that amount, slightly more than half was included in itemized reports for each candidate, totaling $1,710,406 for Quist and $1,826,210 for Gianforte. The data also showed that 70.3 percent of Quist’s itemized contributions came from donors whose provided address was outside of Montana, more than doubling Gianforte’s 30.6 percent. These results may not be representative of each candidate's complete population of donors. Donations under $200 are not required to be itemized and only the ones itemized voluntarily by each campaign were factored into this analysis. Federal law allows individual donors to contribute up to $2,700 each to a candidate for a given election.

April report

As of the April quarterly filing, Greg Gianforte (R) led Rob Quist (D) in total fundraising. Gianforte ended the quarter with $1,636,090 in total campaign contributions and was left with $542,351 cash on hand. Quist trailed with a fundraising total of $903,976 and $692,418 cash on hand. Mark Wicks (L) reported no financial activity in his filing.

Full data for all candidates who filed with the FEC is displayed below.

April Quarterly FEC Report
Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Greg Gianforte	$1,636,090	$1,093,738	$542,351
Rob Quist	$903,976	$211,558	$692,418

Satellite spending

• May 24-25, 2017: The DCCC announced that it planned to spend "the maximum amount of money allowable" on Facebook advertising through election day. The ad buy came in response to the May 24 arrest for misdemeanor assault of Republican candidate Greg Gianforte, who was charged following an incident involving The Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

• May 23, 2017: After committing to a $25,000 ad buy the previous week, the pro-Democratic House Majority PAC announced that it was increasing its spending for the final days before the election to $150,000.

• May 18, 2017: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce purchased a $200,000 television ad buy to support Republican Greg Gianforte in the final week of campaigning ahead of the May 25 special election.

• May 3, 2017: In addition to spending $1.5 million on television ads, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) invested $500,000 to launch a mail campaign and hire 50 canvassers to support Gianforte's bid. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) also announced it was backing Quist with an additional $400,000 for television ads and a mail campaign.

• April 26, 2017: Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced a "six-figure" commitment that it will pay for mailers to reach out to 80,000 Montana residents and make phone calls to 60,000 voters in support of Democratic nominee Rob Quist.

• April 21, 2017: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) added $1.2 million in ad reservations. The CLF also released its second ad of an $800,000 ad buy.

• April 20, 2017: The DCCC made a "six-figure" investment in the race. No details were given on how the money was to be spent.

• April 12, 2017: Following the close result in Kansas' 4th District, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) invested over $1,000,000 in Montana's special election. The NRCC also pledged to spend nearly $300,000 on advertising in the state.

Endorsements

Greg Gianforte

• The Crow Tribe endorsed Gianforte on May 19, 2017, citing the development of the coal industry and funding for the local Indian Health Service facility as priorities.

• Three local newspapers—The Missoulian, The Helena Independent Record, and The Billings Gazette—endorsed Gianforte until the eve of the election. After Gianforte allegedly assaulted reporter Ben Jacobs on May 24, 2017, all three endorsements were rescinded. "Gianforte committed an act of terrible judgment that, if it doesn't land him in jail, also shouldn't land him in the US House of Representatives," the editorial board of The Missoulian wrote.

• The Washington Post reported on May 5, 2017, that Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to stump in Montana for Gianforte the following week.

• The National Rifle Association (NRA) - "The NRA is honored to endorse Greg Gianforte and appreciates his support of the Second Amendment. The NRA encourages all Montana gun-owners, hunters and sportsmen to vote for Greg Gianforte on or before May 25th."

Noteworthy campaigning

• President Trump recorded a robocall in the final week of the election in support of Gianforte. In the ad paid for by the Republican National Committee (RNC), Trump said, "Hi, this is President Donald Trump, and I know what the people of Montana really want and really care about. ... If you don't vote tomorrow, the liberal Democrats running for Congress will decimate and dismantle all that we've done. ... So get to the polls and vote for Greg. That's Greg Gianforte, you'll be very proud of him for years to come. Thanks a lot!"

• On May 23, 2017, the RNC released a robocall featuring Vice President Mike Pence, who encouraged voters in Montana to vote for Republican Greg Gianforte in the May 25 special election. Pence said in the robocall: "Hello, this is Vice President Mike Pence, calling to say there is an important special election being waged right now for Montana’s open congressional seat. Greg Gianforte is running to be your next congressman and President Trump and I need Greg working with us in Washington to cut your taxes, secure our borders, and protect your Second Amendment rights. Don’t let Nancy Pelosi and the liberal Democrats take this seat out of Republican hands. The stakes are high and your vote will matter this Thursday. Remember to get to the polls this Thursday, May 25, and cast your vote for Republican Greg Gianforte for Congress. Thanks for listening. With Greg Gianforte’s help, we will make America great again."

Rob Quist

• Sen. Bernie Sanders - "Rob Quist is the only person in this race who understands that we need a government in Washington that works for all Montanans and all Americans and not just the special interests and the billionaire class."

Noteworthy campaigning

• On May 20 and May 21, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) attended campaign events with Democrat Rob Quist. The events took place in Billings, Butte, Missoula, and Bozeman, Montana. Quist and Sanders criticized the recent passage of the AHCA, with Sanders specifically advocating for a "Medicare-for-all," single-payer healthcare system.

Campaign ads

Greg Gianforte

Support

Gianforte's campaign ads focused on separating him from Washington D.C. and career politicians. He stated that he is "on Montana's side" and pledged to fight against the "war on the west." Gianforte also spoke in favor of term limits and "draining the swamp." Gianforte released his first ad attacking Rob Quist (D) on April 20, 2017. The ad attacked Quist for comments he made on establishing a national gun registry.

"War On The West" - Gianforte's first campaign ad, released March 16, 2017

"Drain the Swamp" - Gianforte's second campaign ad, released March 31, 2017

"Grab" - Gianforte's ad attacking Quist, released April 20, 2017

Opposition

House Majority PAC, a super PAC focused on increasing the number of Democrats in Congress, made a $25,000 ad buy in the final week of the special election.

"Native Country Talks Back to Greg Gianforte" - Quist ad opposing Gianforte, released May 17, 2017

"Thankful" - House Majority PAC ad opposing Gianforte, released May 19, 2017

Rob Quist

Support

Quist's campaign ads focused on distinguishing himself from the "nearly 300 millionaires in Congress". He stated that he will "represent all Montanans, not just the millionaires." Quist also spoke about his career as a folk singer.

"Voice" - Quist's first campaign ad, released April 4, 2017

"Right" - Quist's second ad, released April 6, 2017

"No Wonder" - Quist's third ad, released April 10, 2017

"Defend" - Quist campaign ad, released April 20, 2017

"This Rifle" - Quist campaign ad, released April 21, 2017

"Against" - Quist campaign ad, released May 12, 2017

"Pre Existing" - Quist campaign ad, released May 19, 2017

Opposition

The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) released an ad in March 2017 calling Quist "out of tune with Montana." It attacked Quist on healthcare and military funding as well. In a second ad, the CLF tied Quist to Nancy Pelosi and mentioned the tax liens that had been filed against Quist.

"Out of Tune" - CLF Super PAC ad opposing Quist, released March 2017

"Can't Trust Rob Quist" - CLF Super PAC ad opposing Quist, released April 21, 2017

"MT-AL: Wonder" - NRCC ad opposing Quist, released April 27, 2017

"Stand" - CLF Super PAC ad opposing Quist, released May 19, 2017

Debate

On April 29, 2017, Republican Greg Gianforte, Democrat Rob Quist, and Libertarian Mark Wicks participated in a debate in Great Falls, Montana ahead of Montana's At-Large Congressional District special election on May 25, 2017. Topics and candidate quotes are displayed on this page in the order that they occurred at the debate.

Gun ownership

Quist: “Fully automatic assault rifles are already required to be registered… The fact that they’re saying that I’m calling for a national gun registry is patently false... All of the sportsman’s alliance groups are backing me on this because they know that what he is saying is merely a smokescreen.”

Wicks: “I’ve spent most of the last twenty years working in the gun industry, attending gun shows all over the state. I’m probably the biggest supporter of the 2nd Amendment there ever has been running for this office. I believe that, in this case, your right to bear arms is more important than the constitution.”

Gianforte: “I’m the only candidate here that’s been endorsed by the NRA. I have an 'A' rating. Rob has an 'F' rating. He said in January of this year to the Bozeman Chronicle that we should take our guns down to the DMV [and] register them.”

Prescription drug prices

Gianforte: “We have a problem with the prescription drug costs and we have to face the fact that Obamacare is in a death spiral…I will work across the aisle to get [prescription drug legislation] done.

Quist: “How can we trust someone to be sitting at the table, to represent the people of Montana, who obviously has an interest in keeping those drug prices high and making money off of it.”

Wicks: “I would like to at least see a law passed that pharmaceutical companies can’t sell the drugs outside of our country for less than what they are selling them here for… That’s only fair and that’s what we need, but that’s not going to happen with the regular parties in charge.”

Healthcare legislation

Quist: “I think that there are millions of Americans that would be kicked off if we repeal the ACA, but I think the most important thing is that the healthcare plan that they are proposing would raise premiums by $300 for the average Montanan and American… and would give special tax breaks to millionaires and to insurance company executives.”

Wicks: “The Affordable Care Act, the first lie was in the name. It was not affordable. It’s not going to be affordable. It’s not fixable. Let’s knock it in the head and get rid of it. Let’s let the states work on it, let’s keep the medicare and the Medicaid, protect those people that need it, and I think we’ll be in a lot better spot.”

Gianforte: “There are some things that we ought to keep. I think that we ought to protect people with preexisting conditions. The reason I opposed the initial House plan is that it did not actually bring premiums down. That will be my litmus test. Two things. One, does any repeal and replace proposal reduce premiums for average Montanans and does it preserve rural access? If it does, I’ll vote for it.”

The tax code

Quist: “This [Trump tax plan] is tax breaks to millionaires. We should be giving tax breaks to small businesses and the middle class. The middle class has been carrying the weight of the load for this country and I think it’s time to change”

Wicks: “We need to simplify taxes… I do believe we need to lower taxes on some of the corporations down to what other foreign countries are offering because they’re moving out of this country and they’re doing business there.”

Gianforte: “I agree that we should be eliminating corporate welfare and eliminating tax breaks so that we lower rates across the board. This is the way we get the economy going. We let people keep more of their hard-earned money.”

Immigration and the border wall proposal

Wicks: “I support building [a wall] in spots because I think there are spots that could use more security. I think we need to use more electronic means than an actual wall because walls can always be breached… More importantly, we need to stop the idea that when these illegal immigrants get into the US that they will receive public funds… End sanctuary cities and stop wasting so much money on people who aren’t even Americans”

Gianforte: “I support building the wall where it makes sense on our southern border. We need secure borders and we need to enforce our immigration laws. Rob [Quist] has called to turn our whole state into a sanctuary state where illegal immigrants are harbored. I believe if someone is here illegally and they have broken the law, we need to ask them to leave.”

Quist: “If you build the wall along the Rio Grande River, are we going to cede the Rio Grande to Mexico? Also, I think there are some issues with property rights with the property owners who would have a big problem with having this wall built on their property as well.”

Climate regulations

Quist: “[Climate change] affects our Montana farmers and our ranchers and it affects our tourist industry, our ski areas, and of course our hunting as well... We can reduce our carbon handprint, but still get out in front of this and create lots of jobs and have a smooth transition. We have to have an energy policy that is created by Montanans for Montanans.”

Wicks: “The point is, climate changes, it does. It varies by our orbit, how far away from the sun we are, the sun output, and right now it’s very hard to find reliable data. A lot of the plans being put forward for climate change just aren’t right.”

Gianforte: “The climate is changing, that’s true. The challenge with the clean power plan is that we have the tail wagging the dog. Using the EPA’s data, calculated by the CATO institute, they said that if we shut down every coal-fired plant in North America, our environment would be two-hundredths of a degree cooler a hundred years from now... and for that we’re willing to give up 7,000 jobs in Montana and $1.5 billion in annual revenue? That’s not a smart business decision.”

Marijuana legalization

Wicks: “I came to the conclusion that since everybody that wants marijuana has marijuana, keeping it illegal is just silly and a waste of funds and resources, so we might as well legalize it, let our police do other jobs, make the money that’s flowing into Mexico stop. We’re funding drug lords. We could fund schools with the taxes off of marijuana. There’s a lot of pluses to legalize it.”

Gianforte: “I believe that marijuana has medicinal benefits and we ought to continue to support that, but making it available for recreational use will just add to the addiction problems and cause more problems here and I oppose it.”

Quist: “I think that the war on drugs has been an abject failure. I think that there is a pipeline of money going into these organizations that could be better spent for not incarcerating people, with our whole prisons-for-profit. There are people in jail that do not belong in jail because of this, and I think that the money could be better spent for rehabilitation and treatment… I think the majority of Americans want to see that this legalized.”

Polling

Montana's At-large District Special Election
Poll	Greg Gianforte	Rob Quist	Mark Wicks	Thomas Breck	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Gravis Marketing May 2 - 4, 2017	45%	37%	5%	3%	10%	+/-4.6	462
Gravis Marketing April 27, 2017	52%	39%	6%	0%	2%	+/-3.4	836
Emerson College April 20 - 21, 2017	52%	37%	5%	0%	7%	+/-3.8	648
Gravis Marketing April 6, 2017	50%	38%	3%	2%	7%	+/-2.9	1,229
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Candidates' personal finances

Greg Gianforte (R)

• Investments in Russian companies: During the only televised debate between the two candidates, Quist criticized Gianforte for having investments in Russian companies, saying "Mr. Gianforte has a quarter-of-a-million dollars in stocks in Russian companies that the US has on the sanction list." Gianforte responded that his investments created no conflict of interest, saying "Anyone who invests in emerging markets around the world have investments in Russia. These are a tiny portion of our portfolio. Now, let me say clearly, there cannot be any conflict, and, if elected, I will put all of our investments into a blind trust to guarantee that there is no conflict."

Rob Quist (D)

• Tax liens: On March 21, 2017, it was reported that the state of Montana filed three tax liens against candidate Rob Quist in 2015 to collect roughly $15,000 in back taxes. Quist acknowledged the reports, saying that health issues had caused his financial problems. He said, "It's not a case of me not being able to manage my finances. I was doing just fine until I had this health issue." He later said, "I think we have a system of government in place that puts profits before people and this has to change. I really feel like the people of Montana want someone who is going to be an independent voice for them, to stand up to the things happening to them, just like it happened to me."

• Rental property: On May 9, The Billings Gazette reported that Quist did not report income from a rental property for which his wife Bonnie Quist, according to records provided by renters, had accepted rent payments for apartment spaces. According to public property tax records, the structure at issue was not reported as having living quarters, which would increase the assessed value and therefore the tax liability of the property. The Gazette also reported that records from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry indicate no record of requests for state-mandated building permits, but the department only keeps permit records for seven years. Quist responded in a statement to The Bozeman Daily Chronicle Editorial Board, "This is a property that I am not an owner of. So for The Billings Gazette to bring this up, this is out of my hands. I don’t own that property." Quist's daughter, Halladay Quist, owns the property and provided Bonnie Quist with power-of-attorney, allowing Bonnie to manage rental arrangements for the property. Quist's campaign also stated that the Quists obtained all necessary permits to construct the apartments.

See also: Montana's At-Large Congressional District special election, 2017

• Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Montana on May 12, 2017, to stump for Republican candidate Greg Gianforte. After touring the Westmoreland Coal Company's Absaloka Mine and meeting with local tribal and business leaders, Pence spoke at a rally in the evening. He highlighted Gianforte's commitment to building a wall along the southern border, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and protecting Second Amendment rights. Donald Trump Jr. also campaigned in the state for Gianforte the day before.

Special elections to the 115th U.S. Congress

See also: Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)

In the 17 special elections called to fill vacancies in the 115th Congress in 2017 and 2018, nine Republicans and eight Democrats won. Four elections resulted in a partisan flip:

• Doug Jones (D), U.S. Senate in Alabama;
• Conor Lamb (D), Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District;
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D), Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District; and
• Susan Wild (D), Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District.

Results of special elections to the 115th Congress
Race	Election date	Incumbent	Winner	Election MOV	Previous election MOV	2016 Presidential election MOV
Kansas' 4th Congressional District	April 11, 2017	Mike Pompeo	Ron Estes	R+6	R+31	R+27
Montana's At-Large Congressional District	May 25, 2017	Ryan Zinke	Greg Gianforte	R+6	R+15	R+21
California's 34th Congressional District	June 6, 2017	Xavier Becerra	Jimmy Gomez	D+18	D+54	D+73
Georgia's 6th Congressional District	June 20, 2017	Tom Price	Karen Handel	R+4	R+24	R+1
South Carolina's 5th Congressional District	June 20, 2017	Mick Mulvaney	Ralph Norman	R+3	R+20	R+18
Utah's 3rd Congressional District	November 7, 2017	Jason Chaffetz	John Curtis	R+32	R+47	R+24
U.S. Senate in Alabama	December 12, 2017	Jeff Sessions	Doug Jones	D+2	R+28	R+28
Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District	March 13, 2018	Tim Murphy	Conor Lamb	D+0	R+100	R+19
Arizona's 8th Congressional District	April 24, 2018	Trent Franks	Debbie Lesko	R+6	R+38	R+21
Texas' 27th Congressional District	June 30, 2018	Blake Farenthold	Michael Cloud	R+23	R+24	R+23
Ohio's 12th Congressional District	August 7, 2018	Patrick Tiberi	Troy Balderson	R+1	R+40	R+11
Michigan's 13th Congressional District	November 6, 2018	John Conyers Jr.	Brenda Jones	D+78	D+61	D+61
U.S. Senate in Minnesota	November 6, 2018	Al Franken	Tina Smith	D+11	D+10	D+2
U.S. Senate in Mississippi	November 6, 2018	Thad Cochran	Cindy Hyde-Smith	R+8	R+22	R+18
New York's 25th Congressional District	November 6, 2018	Louise Slaughter	Joseph Morelle	D+16	D+12	D+16
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District	November 6, 2018	Patrick Meehan	Mary Gay Scanlon	D+6	R+19	D+2
Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District	November 6, 2018	Charlie Dent	Susan Wild	D+0	R+20	R+8

District history

2016

See also: Montana's At-Large Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Ryan Zinke (R) defeated Denise Juneau (D) and Rick Breckenridge (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June.

U.S. House, Montana's At-Large District General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ryan Zinke Incumbent	56.2%	285,358
	Democratic	Denise Juneau	40.5%	205,919
	Libertarian	Rick Breckenridge	3.3%	16,554
Total Votes				507,831
Source: Montana Secretary of State

2014

See also: Montana's At-Large Congressional District elections, 2014

The At-Large Congressional District of Montana held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Ryan Zinke (R) defeated John Lewis (D) and Mike Fellows (Montana) (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Montana's At-Large District General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ryan Zinke	55.4%	203,871
	Democratic	John Lewis	40.4%	148,690
	Libertarian	Mike Fellows	4.2%	15,402
Total Votes				367,963
Source: Montana Secretary of State

See also

• Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)
• Montana's At-Large Congressional District
• Ryan Zinke

Footnotes

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Montana's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Steve Daines (R)

Jon Tester (D)

Representatives

District 1

Ryan Zinke (R)

District 2

Matt Rosendale (R)

Republican Party (3)

Democratic Party (1)