Outside Money Flows as Tight Montana House Race Draws Nation's Eye

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Today, voters in Montana head to the polls to elect a new member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Treasure State only has one House seat, and the position was vacated when Zinke was tapped to become secretary of the interior in President Trump's cabinet. Voters have been mailing in ballots for weeks, but the formal election is today.

The polls have been narrowing in the last few weeks between Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, and Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks is in third. But Gianforte stirred some late election controversy after allegedly body slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on Wednesday.

Neither Gianforte or Quist have held public office before, and both are framing themselves as political outsiders and symbols of change for their constituents. With campaign spending sky rocketing and television ads growing bolder, the race has been far from a mellow affair, and the nation is watching.

Both Gianforte and Quist have scooped the support of major national figures. This includes Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence for Gianforte, as well as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for Rob Quist. All three national names have come to tour part of Montana with their chosen candidate, appearing before crowds at rallies, donning cowboy hats, and even riding horses.

With so much attention pouring in from outside of the state, and President Trump's tenure becoming increasingly unpredictable, it's easy to wonder what is motivating voters to turn out to the polls. Do voters still care about Montanan issues, or do they feel called to act while the national spotlight rests on Big Sky country? The Takeaway Todd Zwillich out to the Treasure State to ask Republicans and Democrats if they're feeling called to the voting booth and why.

UPDATE 05/26/17: Greg Gianforte defeated Rob Quist on Thursday to become the newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives.