Gianforte hangs on to a commanding lead of three thousand votes out of 190,000 counted so far.

Gianforte now builds to a two-point lead. Three thousand votes ahead of Rob Quist. About 187,000 votes counted. Not looking too positive for the Democrat at this moment.

Almost 184,000 votes tabulated. Gianforte breaks out a percentage point ahead.

Gianforte ahead by a thousand. Wonder whether this will be the standing pattern for the rest of the night.

Gianforte pulls ahead. By less than a thousand. Gianforte leads by 726 votes out of 181,000.

Breaking: number of precincts fully reported just doubled (approximately), to thirteen.

Quist still ahead by an eyelash.

One percent of precincts (six) finished. Quist’s lead is less than a thousand votes. Quist now leads by exactly 323 votes, out of 178,000 cast.

Updating to 175,000 votes in. Quist leading by barely one thousand votes. The Libertarian, Wicks, holding ten thousand. Two whole precincts reported. Enough of an indicator that it’s close, but people knew that already.

Update: And a few minutes later, it’s Rob Quist again in the lead, 48 – 46 percent, with now 150,000 votes tabulated. Now Quist leads by three thousand votes, less than half the eight thousand Wicks is getting. These are very early returns. A third of precincts partly reporting. Only one precinct fully reported.

May 25, 2017. GOP candidate Greg Gianforte is slightly behind Rob Quist in first returns from Montana in the Thursday special election.

With 103,000 votes counted, Quist leads Gianforte approximately 48 percent to 46 percent. Lead is just short of two thousand votes.

The gap is much smaller than the number of votes being pulled by Libertarian candidate Mark L. Wicks, some six thousand.

Mark L. Wicks