AP makes Montana race call for Forstag

Democrat Sam Forstag is Montana’s newest congressman-elect — officially.

The Associated Press issued the race call at 10:02 a.m., Thursday.

Forstag declared victory just before midnight on Election Day after results drops from Missoula and Gallatin counties boosted him well above Republican Aaron Flint. While the race tightened as votes were counted throughout Wednesday, the final tally from the Montana Secretary of State’s office showed Forstag winning with 132,003 votes to Flint’s 122,694.

“This is about sending a message to the country that working people in this state, in this country, are fed up with having to trust that somebody else is going to go fight for our interest in Washington, and we’re ready to go fight for ourselves,” Forstag said at a press conference in Missoula on Wednesday afternoon.