Montana Supreme Court elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9[2]
- Early voting: Oct. 9 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: Polling places open between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| May 29, 2018 | |
| Primary election | |
| June 5, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
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| |
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| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
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The terms of two Montana Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2018. Those justices had to stand for retention by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench.
The term of the clerk of the Montana Supreme Court also expired on January 6, 2020. The clerk had to stand for partisan election in 2018 to remain in office. The primary election was on June 5, 2018, and the general election was on November 6, 2018.
Candidates and election results
Supreme Court
Seat 2
General election
General election for Montana Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ingrid Gayle Gustafson (Nonpartisan) | 83.7 | 365,795 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 16.3 | 71,451 | ||
| Total votes: 437,246 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Seat 4
General election
General election for Montana Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Beth Baker (Nonpartisan) | 83.3 | 369,877 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 16.7 | 74,126 | ||
| Total votes: 444,003 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Clerk
General election
General election for Montana Supreme Court Clerk of Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bowen Greenwood (R) | 51.5 | 247,130 |
| Rex Renk (D) | 42.6 | 204,411 | ||
 | Roger Roots (L) | 6.0 | 28,760 | |
| Total votes: 480,301 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana Supreme Court Clerk of Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rex Renk | 100.0 | 95,361 | |
| Total votes: 95,361 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana Supreme Court Clerk of Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bowen Greenwood | 100.0 | 124,567 |
| Total votes: 124,567 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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About the Montana Supreme Court
Supreme Court
- See also: Montana Supreme Court
The Montana Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Montana. The court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice who are elected to eight-year terms. The supreme court has appellate and original jurisdiction, and since there is no intermediate appellate court in the state, the supreme court receives appeals directly from the district courts, water court and workers' compensation court.[3][4]
Political composition
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Justices on the Montana Supreme Court are elected to their seats, and replacements are appointed by the governor in the case of midterm vacancies. Justice James Rice was initially appointed by Gov. Judy Martz (R), while Justice Jim Shea was initially appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock (D). Justice Michael E. Wheat's replacement, Ingrid Gustafson, was appointed in 2017.
| ■ Mike McGrath | Elected in 2008 and 2016 | |
| ■ James Rice | Appointed by Judy Martz (R) in 2001, elected in 2014 | |
| ■ Ingrid Gustafson | Appointed by Steve Bullock (D) in 2017 | |
| ■ Dirk M. Sandefur | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Laurie McKinnon | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ Jim Shea | Appointed by Steve Bullock (D) in 2014, elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Beth Baker | Elected in 2010 |
Clerk
- See also: Montana Supreme Court Clerk of Court
The Montana Supreme Court clerk of court is an elected state judicial position in Montana. The clerk is elected to a six-year term. He or she controls the state supreme court docket and filings, manages the appellate process, maintains the state supreme court seal, and protects official court records and files.[5]
Selection
Supreme Court
- See also: Nonpartisan elections
The seven justices of the Montana Supreme Court are selected in nonpartisan elections to eight-year terms. When their term expires, they must run for re-election (or retention if they are unopposed) if they wish to continue serving.[6] In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor is responsible for appointing a new judge from a list compiled by the Montana Judicial Nominating Commission. Once confirmed by the Montana Senate, the judge holds office until the next general election, when he or she will be able to run for re-election to complete the remainder of the unexpired term.[6][7]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident for at least two years; and
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years.[6]
Selection of the chief justice
The court's chief justice is chosen by popular vote during the regular campaign cycle. He or she serves in that capacity for a full eight-year term.[6]
Clerk
Montana elects the clerk of the supreme court every six years in partisan elections.[8]
Qualifications
To serve in this position, a candidate must be:
- 18 years of age;
- a U.S. citizen.[9]
State profile
| Demographic data for Montana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Montana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,032,073 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 145,546 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 89.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 6.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 29.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,169 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Montana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana
Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Montana, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[10]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Montana had two Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.10 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Montana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Montana
- United States congressional delegations from Montana
- Public policy in Montana
- Endorsers in Montana
- Montana fact checks
- More...
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Three of 56 Montana counties—5.4 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Blaine County, Montana | 2.46% | 15.32% | 19.24% | ||||
| Hill County, Montana | 17.18% | 3.50% | 12.21% | ||||
| Roosevelt County, Montana | 6.49% | 15.58% | 26.27% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Montana with 56.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 35.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1892 and 2016, Montana voted Republican 65.6 percent of the time and Democratic 34.4 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Montana voted Republican all five times.[11]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Montana. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[12][13]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 34 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 17.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 28 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 66 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 28.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 72 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 34.7 points. Trump won 14 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 31.49% | 65.40% | R+33.9 | 24.56% | 69.61% | R+45 | R |
| 2 | 26.19% | 70.62% | R+44.4 | 19.77% | 74.94% | R+55.2 | R |
| 3 | 35.65% | 60.43% | R+24.8 | 30.90% | 61.30% | R+30.4 | D |
| 4 | 24.98% | 72.60% | R+47.6 | 20.50% | 73.71% | R+53.2 | R |
| 5 | 49.18% | 47.36% | D+1.8 | 48.70% | 43.57% | D+5.1 | D |
| 6 | 29.95% | 67.81% | R+37.9 | 28.87% | 65.58% | R+36.7 | R |
| 7 | 40.61% | 55.52% | R+14.9 | 34.89% | 56.46% | R+21.6 | R |
| 8 | 28.89% | 68.40% | R+39.5 | 25.31% | 68.36% | R+43 | R |
| 9 | 27.76% | 69.09% | R+41.3 | 23.24% | 70.16% | R+46.9 | R |
| 10 | 28.59% | 69.10% | R+40.5 | 26.23% | 69.31% | R+43.1 | R |
| 11 | 25.25% | 72.18% | R+46.9 | 21.87% | 72.64% | R+50.8 | R |
| 12 | 42.13% | 55.16% | R+13 | 36.12% | 58.17% | R+22 | R |
| 13 | 26.14% | 70.71% | R+44.6 | 18.54% | 76.04% | R+57.5 | R |
| 14 | 32.60% | 63.22% | R+30.6 | 24.35% | 67.81% | R+43.5 | R |
| 15 | 58.01% | 39.28% | D+18.7 | 55.71% | 37.44% | D+18.3 | D |
| 16 | 71.07% | 26.84% | D+44.2 | 65.23% | 28.59% | D+36.6 | D |
| 17 | 30.65% | 66.42% | R+35.8 | 22.87% | 70.58% | R+47.7 | R |
| 18 | 29.49% | 66.80% | R+37.3 | 21.44% | 71.56% | R+50.1 | R |
| 19 | 34.08% | 63.36% | R+29.3 | 25.01% | 68.81% | R+43.8 | R |
| 20 | 36.11% | 62.06% | R+25.9 | 32.46% | 62.16% | R+29.7 | R |
| 21 | 46.91% | 50.23% | R+3.3 | 36.35% | 56.76% | R+20.4 | D |
| 22 | 47.47% | 48.93% | R+1.5 | 36.16% | 54.87% | R+18.7 | R |
| 23 | 49.89% | 47.11% | D+2.8 | 42.34% | 49.63% | R+7.3 | D |
| 24 | 47.86% | 49.59% | R+1.7 | 40.35% | 51.07% | R+10.7 | D |
| 25 | 50.16% | 46.46% | D+3.7 | 39.34% | 52.01% | R+12.7 | R |
| 26 | 47.24% | 49.05% | R+1.8 | 38.78% | 51.69% | R+12.9 | D |
| 27 | 31.45% | 65.37% | R+33.9 | 24.74% | 68.78% | R+44 | R |
| 28 | 48.35% | 47.62% | D+0.7 | 35.81% | 54.70% | R+18.9 | D |
| 29 | 27.54% | 69.57% | R+42 | 20.97% | 72.91% | R+51.9 | R |
| 30 | 26.49% | 70.76% | R+44.3 | 18.35% | 74.80% | R+56.5 | R |
| 31 | 62.74% | 35.08% | D+27.7 | 49.74% | 41.79% | D+7.9 | D |
| 32 | 62.84% | 35.17% | D+27.7 | 51.75% | 41.33% | D+10.4 | D |
| 33 | 31.92% | 64.62% | R+32.7 | 20.69% | 71.73% | R+51 | R |
| 34 | 30.36% | 66.63% | R+36.3 | 20.38% | 73.24% | R+52.9 | R |
| 35 | 21.57% | 75.57% | R+54 | 13.84% | 80.63% | R+66.8 | R |
| 36 | 26.51% | 69.46% | R+42.9 | 17.30% | 77.71% | R+60.4 | R |
| 37 | 17.49% | 79.95% | R+62.5 | 11.75% | 84.38% | R+72.6 | R |
| 38 | 37.31% | 59.77% | R+22.5 | 24.89% | 67.53% | R+42.6 | R |
| 39 | 27.29% | 69.23% | R+41.9 | 15.87% | 78.77% | R+62.9 | R |
| 40 | 22.65% | 73.92% | R+51.3 | 16.45% | 78.01% | R+61.6 | R |
| 41 | 54.68% | 43.62% | D+11.1 | 42.37% | 52.19% | R+9.8 | D |
| 42 | 58.60% | 39.41% | D+19.2 | 47.51% | 45.39% | D+2.1 | D |
| 43 | 35.34% | 61.61% | R+26.3 | 26.74% | 65.15% | R+38.4 | R |
| 44 | 37.95% | 59.42% | R+21.5 | 30.87% | 59.71% | R+28.8 | R |
| 45 | 33.16% | 64.67% | R+31.5 | 29.98% | 61.13% | R+31.2 | R |
| 46 | 35.28% | 63.06% | R+27.8 | 36.58% | 57.00% | R+20.4 | R |
| 47 | 48.01% | 48.86% | R+0.8 | 47.76% | 44.03% | D+3.7 | D |
| 48 | 46.60% | 50.72% | R+4.1 | 43.66% | 47.69% | R+4 | D |
| 49 | 51.94% | 43.75% | D+8.2 | 44.93% | 43.99% | D+0.9 | D |
| 50 | 46.96% | 49.13% | R+2.2 | 38.01% | 51.03% | R+13 | D |
| 51 | 43.83% | 53.14% | R+9.3 | 35.99% | 54.64% | R+18.6 | R |
| 52 | 45.95% | 50.47% | R+4.5 | 36.84% | 54.25% | R+17.4 | R |
| 53 | 26.88% | 71.64% | R+44.8 | 24.59% | 69.45% | R+44.9 | R |
| 54 | 34.72% | 63.36% | R+28.6 | 31.02% | 61.86% | R+30.8 | R |
| 55 | 38.15% | 58.52% | R+20.4 | 26.81% | 65.43% | R+38.6 | R |
| 56 | 36.68% | 60.59% | R+23.9 | 26.13% | 67.22% | R+41.1 | R |
| 57 | 26.02% | 71.51% | R+45.5 | 18.26% | 75.81% | R+57.5 | R |
| 58 | 36.71% | 60.43% | R+23.7 | 30.64% | 62.81% | R+32.2 | R |
| 59 | 31.67% | 65.41% | R+33.7 | 30.10% | 63.92% | R+33.8 | R |
| 60 | 49.22% | 47.75% | D+1.5 | 42.90% | 48.10% | R+5.2 | D |
| 61 | 52.13% | 45.30% | D+6.8 | 55.16% | 37.34% | D+17.8 | D |
| 62 | 57.33% | 39.68% | D+17.7 | 62.26% | 28.33% | D+33.9 | D |
| 63 | 55.23% | 40.35% | D+14.9 | 49.37% | 36.73% | D+12.6 | D |
| 64 | 40.23% | 56.95% | R+16.7 | 38.79% | 52.50% | R+13.7 | R |
| 65 | 51.99% | 44.48% | D+7.5 | 52.43% | 36.25% | D+16.2 | R |
| 66 | 59.07% | 37.20% | D+21.9 | 60.50% | 27.72% | D+32.8 | D |
| 67 | 36.06% | 60.39% | R+24.3 | 31.16% | 58.18% | R+27 | R |
| 68 | 29.86% | 66.53% | R+36.7 | 26.12% | 64.60% | R+38.5 | R |
| 69 | 27.48% | 69.83% | R+42.3 | 23.90% | 68.84% | R+44.9 | R |
| 70 | 29.72% | 67.70% | R+38 | 23.68% | 69.44% | R+45.8 | R |
| 71 | 30.43% | 67.06% | R+36.6 | 25.87% | 68.31% | R+42.4 | R |
| 72 | 30.12% | 66.71% | R+36.6 | 24.63% | 68.26% | R+43.6 | R |
| 73 | 67.29% | 29.51% | D+37.8 | 51.69% | 39.47% | D+12.2 | D |
| 74 | 67.84% | 28.48% | D+39.4 | 54.64% | 35.06% | D+19.6 | D |
| 75 | 36.01% | 61.13% | R+25.1 | 31.30% | 60.96% | R+29.7 | R |
| 76 | 62.60% | 35.45% | D+27.1 | 54.57% | 37.65% | D+16.9 | D |
| 77 | 54.71% | 41.78% | D+12.9 | 42.42% | 49.42% | R+7 | D |
| 78 | 49.90% | 46.76% | D+3.1 | 34.39% | 56.64% | R+22.3 | D |
| 79 | 52.38% | 45.20% | D+7.2 | 51.09% | 40.64% | D+10.5 | D |
| 80 | 29.81% | 67.67% | R+37.9 | 23.46% | 70.02% | R+46.6 | R |
| 81 | 53.84% | 43.72% | D+10.1 | 46.71% | 44.07% | D+2.6 | D |
| 82 | 50.97% | 46.39% | D+4.6 | 46.83% | 44.43% | D+2.4 | D |
| 83 | 51.40% | 45.43% | D+6 | 48.20% | 43.23% | D+5 | D |
| 84 | 47.66% | 49.40% | R+1.7 | 43.56% | 46.97% | R+3.4 | D |
| 85 | 28.10% | 69.34% | R+41.2 | 23.44% | 71.16% | R+47.7 | R |
| 86 | 38.39% | 58.67% | R+20.3 | 33.89% | 59.62% | R+25.7 | R |
| 87 | 28.26% | 68.87% | R+40.6 | 24.22% | 70.13% | R+45.9 | R |
| 88 | 36.82% | 60.50% | R+23.7 | 30.21% | 63.77% | R+33.6 | R |
| 89 | 55.35% | 42.16% | D+13.2 | 53.30% | 37.59% | D+15.7 | D |
| 90 | 62.36% | 35.39% | D+27 | 60.12% | 31.87% | D+28.3 | D |
| 91 | 74.07% | 23.34% | D+50.7 | 74.47% | 17.31% | D+57.2 | D |
| 92 | 44.75% | 51.56% | R+6.8 | 35.48% | 55.99% | R+20.5 | R |
| 93 | 45.74% | 51.67% | R+5.9 | 36.57% | 57.09% | R+20.5 | D |
| 94 | 52.31% | 44.47% | D+7.8 | 47.39% | 44.39% | D+3 | D |
| 95 | 67.27% | 28.91% | D+38.4 | 63.09% | 24.62% | D+38.5 | D |
| 96 | 45.17% | 51.93% | R+6.8 | 40.48% | 51.14% | R+10.7 | R |
| 97 | 42.65% | 54.90% | R+12.3 | 38.02% | 54.75% | R+16.7 | R |
| 98 | 55.62% | 40.95% | D+14.7 | 48.67% | 42.15% | D+6.5 | D |
| 99 | 53.76% | 43.36% | D+10.4 | 51.66% | 39.94% | D+11.7 | D |
| 100 | 74.33% | 22.27% | D+52.1 | 71.30% | 18.23% | D+53.1 | D |
| Total | 41.71% | 55.36% | R+13.7 | 35.94% | 56.47% | R+20.5 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Montana judicial election' OR 'Montana court election' OR 'Montana election 2018' OR Montana clerk election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
- ↑ If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
- ↑ Montana Courts, "Contact Us," accessed March 21, 2014
- ↑ Montana Judicial Branch, "About Us," accessed July 15, 2014
- ↑ Montana Judicial Branch, "Who We Are," accessed May 14, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Montana," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ Montana Constitution
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated, "§3-2-401," accessed May 15, 2020
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2018 Offices, Qualifications, and Fees," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Montana," accessed June 29, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
| |||||||||||
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Montana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Montana
State courts:
Montana Supreme Court • Montana District Courts • Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction • Montana Water Court • Montana Workers' Compensation Court
State resources:
Courts in Montana • Montana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Montana
