One day after allegedly “body-slamming” reporter Ben Jacobs in response to a question about the American Health Care Act, tech millionaire and Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte handily won Montana’s special election on Thursday by about 7 percent. Gianforte, who was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly attacking Jacobs at a campaign event the day before, will take a seat previously held by Ryan Zinke, who earlier this year became President Donald Trump’s interior secretary.

The fallout from the alleged assault was swift, though it ultimately didn’t make much difference to the outcome of the election. Three of the biggest newspapers in Montana were quick to rescind their endorsements of Gianforte, and Montana’s Democratic Governor Steve Bullock called Gianforte’s actions “unsettling on many levels.” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Gianforte should apologize, adding, “I do not think this is acceptable behavior, but the choice will be made by the people of Montana.” Though Democratic lawmakers had no problem castigating Gianforte for the alleged assault, few Republicans complained about his behavior. National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Steve Stivers said Gianforte was “totally out of character, but we all make mistakes.” Gianforte finally apologized on Thursday night during his victory speech, saying, “I should not have responded the way I did. I should not have treated that reporter that way, and for that I am sorry, Mr. Ben Jacobs.”

Even if he were found guilty and served the maximum sentence—six months in Montana—Gianforte could still serve in Congress.

Though Gianforte’s Democratic opponent—folk singer and first-time candidate Rob Quist—gained momentum during the election, particularly after Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault on Wednesday, it wasn’t enough to push him over the edge. The office of Montana’s secretary of state released a statement saying nearly 70 percent of ballots had been cast prior to Election Day, anyway: even if persuadable constituents had a change of heart after Wednesday night, for many of them it was too late. “If results stay on this arc, wake-up call for Dems & activists to recruit serious, sober, quality candidates,” The Washington Post’s Paul Kane tweeted on Thursday night. “Not quirky personalities.” Quist had the support of progressives like Bernie Sanders throughout the increasingly tight race, but pervasive anti-Trump sentiment has yet to propel him—or other Democrats—into Congress.