Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Rice holds on to his Supreme Court seat

See live election results for all Montana races after the polls close at 8 p.m.

Montana’s longest serving member of the state Supreme Court, Justice Jim Rice, has won reelection to the bench, according to a race call from the Associated Press. The AP called the race around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Montanans overwhelmingly backed Rice over Billings attorney Bill D’Alton for the seat with the incumbent receiving more than 75 percent of the vote when the race was called.

Rice was first seated on the state high court in 2001, appointed by former Republican Gov. Judy Martz.

The seven justices of the Montana Supreme Court are nonpartisan elected positions to eight-year terms.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Corin Cates-Carney manages MTPR’s daily and long-term news projects. After spending more than five years living and reporting across Western and Central Montana, he became news director in early 2020.