Montana Primary Election Results 2018: Rosendale To Face Tester

BILLINGS, MT — After votes were counted deep into the night, Matt Rosendale emerged victorious over Russ Fagg in the Republican primary and will go on to face incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in the general election. Meanwhile, Kathleen Williams narrowly defeated John Heenan in the Democratic primary and will go on to face Republican Greg Gianforte in the fall for the state's at-large U.S. House seat.

Here's a breakdown of all the key races (winners in bold).

U.S. Senate

Democratic primary:

• Jon Tester

Tester ran unopposed.

Republican primary:

• Matt Rosendale (Glendive)
• Russ Fagg (Billings)
• Troy Downing (Big Sky)
• Al Olszewski (Kalispell)

Rosendale, the state auditor and former state legislator who made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in 2014, won the Republican primary Tuesday night. He is also backed by national Republicans and key conservative groups. Fagg, a retired state judge, vowed to crack down on Mexican cartels that bring meth into the state. Downing, a businessman and combat veteran, says his experience separates him from the field. Olszewski is a state senator who has trailed in campaign donations.

U.S. House of Representatives

Democratic primary:

• John Heenan (Billings)
• Grant Kier (Missoula)
• Kathleen Williams (Bozeman)
• Jared Pettinato
• John Meyer

Williams won the Democratic nomnation after securing 33.5 percent of the vote, just beating out John Heenan, who earned 31.7 percent.

Heenan, a consumer protection attorney, had a populist message that he believed reflected some themes that President Donald Trump campaigned on, The Associated Press reported. Kier is a former land trust leader who aims to garner bipartisan support. Williams is a former state legislator who has billed herself as a business-friendly progressive. She would be the first woman to hold the congressional seat since 1943. Pettinato is a former U.S. Justice Department attorney. Meyer is an environmental attorney.

Republican primary:

• Greg Gianforte

Gianforte won a special election in 2017 to finish Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's term. He is running unopposed.

Photo credit: Renee Schiavone/Patch