The Montana Legislature’s Partisan Attack on Judicial Independence
SlateThis piece was originally published on State Court Report, a hub for reporting, analysis, and commentary about state courts and constitutions. Proponents of the partisan judiciary bill say it will provide voters more information about judicial candidates, a common argument in favor of partisan elections. Outside spending in state judicial races is uncontainable under federal law, and recent Montana Supreme Court elections have seen extraordinary amounts of spending, jumping from less than $500,000 total per election through the early 2010s to millions in the 2024 elections. Data, while limited, suggests that Montana voters agree that partisan judicial elections are no solution. A recent poll shows that over 70 percent of Montana voters “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with making Montana’s judicial elections partisan, including over 60 percent of Republican voters.
History of this topic
New initiative tests nonpartisan observation in Missoula primary
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Republicans making partisan pitch in Supreme Court race
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Montana Legislature wraps up with $12B, two-year budget
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