Montana Supreme Court race draws attention after judicial donation law change
Montana voters will decide a nonpartisan state Supreme Court seat on Nov. 3, 2026, with Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson competing after advancing from the June primary. Justice Beth Baker, who joined the court in 2011, is not running again. The contest is the first since HB39 lifted a ban on political party donations to judicial candidates; Wilson has received Republican Party support, while Eddy says she will not take money from partisan groups.
Montana’s Nov. 3, 2026, Supreme Court contest is officially nonpartisan. Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson advanced from the June 2 primary, where Eddy took 51.4% and Wilson 48.6%. Justice Beth Baker, on the court since 2011, is stepping down. This is the first such general election after HB39 ended Montana’s prohibition on party donations to judicial hopefuls.
Wilson has accepted $20,000 from the state Republican Party and additional sums from county GOP committees. Eddy has declined partisan-group contributions and appearances. Eddy is backed by conservation, public-employee, and sportsmen groups; Wilson by Republican, chamber, and mining organizations. Voters also consider CI-132, which would constitutionally require nonpartisan judicial elections.
The donation-law change may make Montana’s judicial race more visibly tied to party networks, potentially influencing how voters evaluate candidates in a formally nonpartisan contest. Candidates, parties, and interest groups could face greater scrutiny over money and endorsements, while voters may weigh concerns about judicial independence against clearer ideological signals. If CI-132 passes, it could shape future judicial election rules and campaign finance practices, affecting candidates, donors, and public confidence in courts.