HELENA — Republican Greg Gianforte on Thursday was certified as the winner of Montana’s special congressional election, allowing the Bozeman entrepreneur to be sworn into his first public office and as the state’s only representative to the U.S. House.
It was not immediately clear when Gianforte would meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan to take his oath of office.
Gianforte will take the oath after he pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a reporter during an election-eve confrontation at his campaign headquarters.
A judge ordered him to pay a $385 fine and sentenced him to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counseling.
Gianforte will finish out the term of Ryan Zinke, who resigned to become President Donald Trump’s Interior secretary. Gianforte has already filed to run for the seat again in 2018.
The certification of the results from the May 25 special election by Secretary of State Corey Stapleton and a state election canvassing board was a required step before Gianforte can be sworn in.
Gianforte prevailed over Democrat Rob Quist by 6 percentage points in the state’s most expensive congressional race ever.
Stapleton said he would be sending an electronic copy of the certification to congressional officials.
“Once they have that notification, then Greg Gianforte can be seated as quickly as the House rules allow. It’s up to the speaker of the House,” Stapleton said.
Gianforte will arrive in Washington as the nation’s capital reels from Wednesday’s shooting that left a Republican House leader critically wounded and several others injured.