Two judges from the same court are competing for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court. The justices spoke to MTPR’s Clayton Murphy about partisanship, restraint and what they would bring to the bench.
Judges Dan Wilson and Amy Eddy both serve on Montana’s 11th District Court in Flathead County.
Wilson started practicing as a lawyer in 1993, and has served as a judge since 2017. This is his second bid for a seat on the high court – he lost his first in 2024. Wilson calls himself a “constitutional conservative,” in that when the Constitution is unclear, he tries to find an answer in the original drafting of Montana’s bill of rights.
“And so when that's the case, then it's a judge's obligation, in my view, to go back into the history of the adoption of the Constitution in 1972,” Wilson says.
Judge Eddy agrees that it’s important to understand original intentions, but says she takes a more modern approach.
“We've had more than 50 years of Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Constitution, and we've had more than 50 years of the Legislature enacting statutes within that constitutional structure. Montana is unique in that our Constitution is not meant to be frozen in time,” she says.
Eddy has been serving on the bench since 2015 after running a private practice for 15 years. She also established a special claims court for people exposed to asbestos from mines in Libby.
The biggest difference between the candidates is how they’ve been campaigning.
During the 2025 legislative session, Republican leaders pushed hard in favor of turning judicial elections partisan. Most of these bills, like one that would add party affiliation next to a judge’s name on the ballot, were voted down. But a bill that allows political parties to contribute to campaigns was passed and signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, opening the door to stronger ties between parties and judicial candidates.
Wilson is embracing that change. He was the keynote speaker at a Montana GOP event in February. The party posted to X Wednesday, “Judge Dan Wilson is the Republican candidate for Montana Supreme Court this November.” Wilson has also received almost $34,000 from the GOP and Republican central committees.
Wilson said he takes issue with funding from political activism groups but said a political party is different.
“So special interests – you can call them what you like – but the parties have very broad interests. Other groups have very narrow interests,” he says.
Wilson has said he thinks the state’s courts have had too many “judicial activists” and judges have started leaning left. That idea is why Republicans have been pushing to make the judiciary partisan.
Eddy has been funded and supported by Democrats, including a PAC affiliated with former Democratic Sen. Max Baucus. But she’s denied partisanship. She said she’s also received donations from Republican and nonpartisan elected officials.
Eddy said she waited to announce her campaign until the session was over, because if a bill allowing partisan judicial elections passed, she would have run as an independent.
“I think it's important for people when they come to court to know regardless of their circumstances that they're getting a fair shake in front of the judge.”
Eddy said the majority of her supporters have been lawyers and other judges. But Wilson counters that’s a bad look, because if elected she would likely run into those supporters in the courtroom.
Voters will promote one of the judges on November 3.
MTPR will continue covering state elections and offer special coverage on election night, November 3, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
