GREAT FALLS — On the eve of Election Day, Democratic candidates rallied voters in Cascade County and touted the importance of winning over voters in north-central Montana.
Many of them repeatedly said Cascade County plays a decisive role in deciding Montana's elections. The rally, organized by the Cooney campaign and held in an office on River Drive on Monday morning, came just two days after Republicans held a major campaign event in Kalispell that included a speech from Donald Trump Jr., the president's son.
Both sides are knocking on doors, making phone calls and taking every chance to swing over independent voters while galvanizing their own bases — despite the fact that a majority of Montanans have already voted by mail in unprecedented numbers.
Lieutenant Governor Cooney, a Democrat, is locked in the final stretch of what some have called the most competitive governor's race in the country. Although Representative Greg Gianforte, a Republican, lost the governorship to Governor Steve Bullock in 2016, he's held a slight edge in several recent polls. The running mates of both Gianforte and Cooney are Great Falls natives.
Williams, a Democrat, has also been losing ground to Republican Matt Rosendale, Montana's current state auditor who cultivated a cozy relationship with President Trump during his failed 2016 bid to oust Democratic Senator Jon Tester. But Rosendale's lead is also within the margin of error in most polls.
For information about how to vote in Cascade County, click here for details.