Republican Greg Gianforte elected Montana’s next governor

By IRIS SAMUELS and MATTHEW BROWN undefined
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Republican Greg Gianforte has won the race to become Montana's next governor. Gianforte, who serves as Montana's lone member of the U.S. House, defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney. The seat was up for grabs as Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock was termed out and instead ran for the U.S. Senate. Gianforte was endorsed by President Donald Trump and known for body-slamming a reporter in 2017. He will be Montana's first Republican governor in 16 years. One of the wealthiest members of Congress, Gianforte touted his business experience, which includes founding a start-up technology company in his hometown of Bozeman that was eventually sold for almost $2 billion.