Eager to prove President Trump’s destructive influence over his party, Democrats were hoping a special election for a congressional seat in Montana might serve as a bellwether of success in the 2018 midterms.
Last night’s events probably guaranteed victory, but they also ruined its portentous value.
At a campaign event on Wednesday, GOP candidate Greg Gianforte tussled with a reporter for The Guardian, allegedly body-slamming him to the ground. The story prompted three separate Montana newspapers to revoke their endorsements and drove widespread national media coverage.
Less than 24 hours before polls were set to open, the race lost its ability to serve as a fair predictor of future elections. Though some estimates say nearly 70 percent of voters have already cast their ballots (early voting is common in Montana), in a race expected to be as close as this, Gianforte’s actions create a set of circumstances that puts Republicans at an unusual disadvantage they will almost certainly not face elsewhere.
As returns come in on Thursday night, we should take any attempts by either party to spin the results as a harbinger for the midterms with a grain of salt.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
