Gianforte halts in-person campaigning after wife, running mate attend event with Guilfoyle

Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), who is running to be Montana’s governor, will pause in-person campaign activities after Trump campaign fundraiser Kimberly Guilfoyle, who has since tested positive for the coronavirus, attended an event with his wife and running mate.

Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Kristen Juras and Susan Gianforte both attended a Tuesday event with Guilfoyle before Guilfoyle tested positive for the virus Friday. Both Guilfoyle and her boyfriend, Donald Trump Jr., pulled out of President Trump’s Mount Rushmore event Friday after her diagnosis.

“On Tuesday, Susan Gianforte and Kristen Juras attended an event with Kimberly Guilfoyle who has tested positive for COVID-19,” Gianforte campaign spokesman Travis Hall told KECI, a Montana NBC affiliate, in an email. 

“Since learning of their potential exposure, Greg, Susan, and Kristen have adhered to recommended guidelines,” Hall added. “Out of an abundance of caution and for the health and safety of others, they will self-quarantine, be tested for COVID-19, and suspend in-person campaign events pending test results.”

Greg Gianforte was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the event, the spokesperson said.

Greg Gianforte, who will face Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney (D) in the November gubernatorial election, previously lost to current Gov. Steve Bullock (D), now a Senate candidate, in 2016.

Several other members of Congress have self-quarantined as a precaution since the coronavirus pandemic began, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), all of whom entered isolation in March after making contact with an unidentified person at the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference who later tested positive. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) self-quarantined after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was diagnosed with the coronavirus due to their recent contact with him.

More recently, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) self-quarantined for two weeks after a staffer in his office tested positive for the virus in May.