Troy Downing declares eastern House victory, race not yet called

Republican eastern House candidate Troy Downing gave a victory speech at a hotel in downtown Billings on Tuesday night, extending gratitude to a room packed full of supporters.

While few major counties have reported election results and The Associated Press had not called the race as of 10 p.m. on election night, Downing is expected to win Montana's second congressional district.

Downing faced a challenge from Democrat John Driscoll, who ran a lean campaign and kept his spending on his race below the $5,000 reporting threshold of the Federal Election Commission. The race also included write-in efforts from Democrat Reilly Neill and nonpartisan candidate John Metzger.

Downing told supporters in Billings on election night that he would continue to fight for the state's veterans, seniors and most vulnerable.

"We show up every day to serve," he said. "And that is what this campaign has been all about and what our work will continue to be about, showing up and serving."

He vowed to work with other conservatives in Washington, D.C., to build the southern border wall, protect Second Amendment rights and support veterans.

"We're going to get our economy back on track, and we're going to work every day to put Montana first," he said to a cheering crowd.

The district is heavily red, as outgoing Republican Matt Rosendale won it in the first election after its creation in 2022 with 56% of the vote. Montana gained back its second seat in the U.S. House following population growth and the redistricting process following the 2020 census.

Driscoll told the Montana State News Bureau that he'd "like to congratulate (Downing) on his win."

"I wish him well," Driscoll said. "The job is a big one, and there's a lot of really tough issues. I hope he can feel good about his first two years. I feel really good about the campaign. I met a lot of good people."

In June, Downing, the state auditor, emerged from a crowded GOP primary field with about 36% of the vote. On the eve of the election, he received a last-minute endorsement from former GOP President Donald Trump.

The district was open as incumbent Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale decided to not seek re-election after a tumultuous spring in which he first declared a long-anticipated bid for U.S. Senate, only to quickly withdraw from that race after strong opposition from party leaders and former President Donald Trump endorsing his opponent. Rosendale then launched a reelection bid, but that ended amidst a nasty rumor and what the congressman said were death threats.

In the Democratic primary, Driscoll ended up with about 34% of the vote over Steve Held with 26%. Ming Cabrera had 22% and Kevin Hamm had 19%.

Back in September, Driscoll opened a Billings forum between himself and Downing by congratulating Downing on his expected victory. Driscoll's unconventional campaign included spending almost entirely on gas for travel and truck-stop showers, he said repeatedly on the campaign trail. Downing spent more than $900,000 of his own money on his primary bid. FEC reports show he loaned his campaign $1,085,000 in total over the campaign; he reported getting about $1.5 million in contributions otherwise.

Downing is from California but moved to Montana in 1998. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after 9/11 and later founded a startup that later merged with Yahoo. He also built statewide insurance and real estate companies. In 2020 he ran for state auditor and won the job with 55% of the vote. In 2018 he lost out in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate.

Driscoll grew up in Miles City and Hamilton and studied international affairs at Columbia University. He served in the Army National Guard for 28 years, doing strategic intelligence. He later was in the state House of Representatives from 1972-78 and was on the Public Service Commission from 1981-1992.

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