Montana 2026 Supreme Court Election

Montana Supreme Court Election 

Montana elects its Supreme Court justices in nonpartisan elections. One seat is up for election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, because Justice Beth Baker is not seeking another term. The candidates are Eleventh Judicial District Court Judge Amy Eddy and Eleventh Judicial District Court Judge Dan Wilson. Voters can confirm their registration, polling location, absentee ballot information, and sample ballot through the Montana Secretary of State’s voter resources.

How You Can Get Involved 

Make sure you’re prepared! 

• Make a voting plan. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Most Montana polling places are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM; a polling place serving fewer than 400 registered electors may open as late as noon. Confirm your assigned polling location and hours before voting. 

• Check your voter registration. Use the Montana Secretary of State’s voter resources to confirm your registration status, polling location, and absentee-ballot information. Regular registration closes 30 days before the election, on Monday, October 5, 2026. 

• After regular registration closes, eligible voters may register or update their information during the late-registration period through their county election administrator and must obtain their ballot in person. Contact your county election office for the location and hours. 

• Absentee-ballot applications must be received by your county election office by noon on Monday, November 2, 2026. 

• Your completed absentee ballot must be received—not merely postmarked—by your county election office or polling place by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. 

Make sure to vote your entire ballot, especially the Montana Supreme Court race and constitutional initiatives!

The Stakes 

The Montana Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and the final authority on questions of Montana law, including the meaning of the Montana Constitution. Its decisions affect constitutional rights, access to public lands and waterways, privacy, elections, and the balance of power among state institutions. The Montana Supreme Court reviews cases involving individual liberties, public land and waterway access, privacy rights, and statutory compliance under state law. Under the Montana Constitution, public access rights protect the state’s public lands and natural waterways, including established stream access rights. The Montana Supreme Court has issued several rulings that define and affirm these recreational easements over time. 

The state constitution also establishes a right to a “clean and healthful environment.” In its December 2024 decision in Held v. Montana, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed that this right applies to future generations, ruling that environmental reviews must evaluate greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts. Additionally, the Montana Constitution explicitly includes an individual right to privacy. Following a voter-ratified constitutional amendment in 2025, protections regarding personal decisions about reproductive healthcare and pregnancy were codified into law.  

In 2026, the Montana Supreme Court ruled on procedural challenges involving proposed ballot initiatives aimed at restricting corporate political spending. In one case, the court dismissed a pre-election challenge as premature, allowing the statutory initiative process to continue. In a separate decision, the court held that a revised constitutional initiative met the state’s separate-vote requirements and directed the attorney general to format the ballot language. These decisions evaluated access to the ballot initiative process rather than the underlying constitutionality or merits of the spending restrictions themselves.

The Candidates 

Judge Amy Eddy and Judge Dan Wilson are Eleventh Judicial District Court judges in Flathead County and are running in the November 3, 2026, nonpartisan general election for the Montana Supreme Court seat being vacated by retiring Justice Beth Baker. Both advanced from the June primary, in which Eddy received 51.4% of the vote, and Wilson received 48.6%. 

Eddy has served on the district court since her 2015 appointment and previously worked in private practice. She emphasizes judicial restraint, impartiality, and keeping partisan politics out of the courtroom. Wilson has served on the district court since 2017 after working as a prosecutor, private-practice attorney, and justice of the peace. He describes his approach as applying constitutional and statutory text according to its original intent and plain meaning while respecting precedent.