A Republican candidate facing a misdemeanor assault charge had built a comfortable lead Thursday night in a special election to fill Montana's lone seat in the House of Representatives. With 57 percent of precincts reporting, Greg Gianforte led Democrat Rob Quist by more than 22,000 votes out of nearly 270,000 ballots cast. Witnesses, including a Fox News crew, said Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck and slammed him to the ground while yelling "Get the hell out of here!" Gianforte kept a low profile Thursday, canceling television interviews and not appearing in public even as his supporters readied his victory party. The Republican candidate focused on protecting the 2nd Amendment and tried to tie Quist, a first-time candidate, to liberal Democrats such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Source: Fox News May 26, 2017 03:33 UTC