--- title: "Montana Supreme Court elections face partisan challenges" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-11T13:05:12.742Z" source_reported: "2026-10-11T11:14:25.000Z" updated: "2026-10-11T13:05:12.742Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-11T14:00:13.190758+00:00" --- # Montana Supreme Court elections face partisan challenges *A ballot measure seeks to protect nonpartisan judicial elections amid increased political spending.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. One outlet provided a full report, with claims attributed to named individuals and organizations. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. The report clearly separates fact from comment and provides specific details about the candidates and their backing. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism or manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Montana's Supreme Court elections, constitutionally nonpartisan, are experiencing increased partisan influence. - Citizen activists have initiated a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment to safeguard nonpartisan judicial elections. - Two candidates, Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson, are running for the state Supreme Court, with Eddy supported by organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group, and Wilson backed by the Republican Party. - The American Civil Liberties Union is contributing $5.5 million to Supreme Court races across Michigan, Montana, and North Carolina. Montana's Supreme Court elections, which are officially nonpartisan, are currently facing challenges aimed at introducing partisanship. This situation is part of a broader national trend concerning state-level judicial races. Citizen activists have successfully gathered enough signatures to bring a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment designed to enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections. The upcoming election in November will feature a contest for the state Supreme Court between two candidates, Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson. Both are district court judges. Eddy has garnered support from organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group, while Wilson is backed by the Republican Party. This election occurs against the backdrop of recent Montana Supreme Court rulings that struck down laws restricting abortion and limiting voter registration, and upheld a decision on environmental rights. These rulings have drawn criticism from Republicans who hold legislative majorities. ## Disagreement on candidate support Washington Top News reported that Amy Eddy is supported by organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group, while Dan Wilson is backed by the Republican Party. Digests from other outlets also stated that one candidate is backed by the state Republican Party and the other by some progressive groups or organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated reports covered this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 31 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 39% (12) - Centre: 58% (18) - Right: 3% (1) 3 of 34 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-11T14:00:13.190758+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-11T14:30:18.985Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted the nationwide battle for state Supreme Court seats and the role these courts play in determining the fate of consequential state laws, particularly concerning abortion, voting, and climate change. They noted that Republican officials have attempted to inject partisanship into Montana's nonpartisan Supreme Court elections following recent rulings that displeased them. These reports also detailed the citizen activists' response in forcing a statewide vote on an amendment to enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections. The American Civil Liberties Union's spending of $5.5 million on Supreme Court races in Michigan, Montana, and North Carolina was also a prominent point. The reports mentioned that Amy Eddy is supported by organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group, while Dan Wilson is backed by the Republican Party. Washington Top News, the full report, stated that Eddy was part of the majority that ruled the state’s abortion laws violated individual privacy rights and that she does not accept money from political parties, which she believes undermines public trust. The reports also referenced similar campaigns in other states, such as Kansas, North Carolina, and Ohio, to illustrate the broader trend. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the immediate context of Montana's Supreme Court race and the ballot proposal to enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections. They stated that the state's Supreme Court race is officially nonpartisan, but that one candidate is backed by the state Republican Party and the other by organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group. The reports noted that support for nonpartisan judicial elections is being tested in Montana, which is described as the latest location in a nationwide battle for bench seats. They mentioned that recent court rulings on abortion, voting, and climate change have displeased Republicans, leading to efforts to inject partisanship. The American Civil Liberties Union's spending of $5.5 million on Supreme Court races in Michigan, Montana, and North Carolina was also noted. Washington Top News, the full report, provided details on the candidates, including Eddy's stance on judicial impartiality and Wilson's comments on donations from lawyers. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 12 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 19 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CT Insider](https://ctinsider.com/news/politics/article/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-22472123.php) — Client Challenge - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/general-election/11212382/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/11/montana-supreme-court-nonpartisan-election/244ca552-c55c-11f1-aefb-abe4112d087e_story.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana – WTOP News - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_725070cb-c792-58ce-839b-37e5b93904dd.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Loonie Politics](https://looniepolitics.com/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in - [Newsday](https://newsday.com/news/nation/montana-supreme-court-nonpartisan-election-x60939) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/montana-supreme-court-nonpartisan-election-26141dfc59602adb190c1b029a23c66b) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [abc News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-put-test-montana-137170591) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/10/11/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [News 4 JAX](https://news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/10/11/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/10/11/nation/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [KRQE News 13](https://krqe.com/news/national/ap-nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Watauga Democrat](https://wataugademocrat.com/ap/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_2063f447-91a8-53c2-8c5e-d31a079c0d3a.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Local 3 News](https://local3news.com/local-news/georgia/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_9473b409-d847-5bc3-b976-a9d551908fd7.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Yankton Press & Dakotan](https://yankton.net/news/national_ap/article_491cfd89-8694-566c-b386-26941bd4d353.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Richmond Register](https://richmondregister.com/ap/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_7465aef1-39b1-5ede-b791-8735f3aec8c1.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Gwinnett Daily Post](https://gwinnettdailypost.com/news/state/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_3230634b-392d-5bd1-b3c5-f701f4699ea7.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Yakima Herald-Republic](https://yakimaherald.com/news/nation_and_world/nation/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_d6ad3c64-e6c3-5d70-a537-14f46e7b45a1.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [GazetteXtra](https://gazettextra.com/news/state/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_41014391-41bd-50f9-a777-eaa6d11434c7.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [KXL](https://kxl.com/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Leader-Telegram](https://leadertelegram.com/news/nation-world/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_50c95243-fe65-5df0-9938-e915818a9957.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [WFTV 9 abc](https://wftv.com/news/politics/nonpartisan-state/FLJVZPK6C4ZINGLIZU57KUL7NI) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Idaho State Journal](https://idahostatejournal.com/news/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_5a92b137-7559-59aa-b3bd-d0a1b4831ac2.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [verdenews.com](https://verdenews.com/news/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_dcca1595-064e-5a82-9826-c0ac6f6fd7e4.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [The Standard-Journal](https://standard-journal.com/ap/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_f43ac396-3b56-548c-bc9b-8579c651fd66.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [KTBS](https://ktbs.com/news/national/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_161ba589-496c-5e34-8f33-17d18699ba3f.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_beb52c26-457e-5196-860f-5da3e00ef3b8.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/world/united-states/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_9a9af1a6-2aef-50aa-b84b-9d4bed405fca.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/world/united-states/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana/article_fa9f2152-7038-5e56-8edc-a01553b75400.html) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/10/11/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana - [Durango Herald](https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/nonpartisan-state-supreme-court-elections-are-being-put-to-the-test-in-montana) — Nonpartisan state Supreme Court elections are being put to the test in Montana ## Questions **What is the main issue in Montana's Supreme Court elections?** Montana's Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but there are efforts to inject partisanship. Citizen activists have initiated a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment to preserve nonpartisan judicial elections, while candidates receive backing from opposing political groups. **Who are the candidates in the Montana Supreme Court race?** The candidates are Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson, both district court judges. Eddy is supported by organized labor and a Democratic-aligned group, while Wilson is backed by the Republican Party. **What role is the ACLU playing in these elections?** The American Civil Liberties Union is spending $5.5 million on Supreme Court races in Michigan, Montana, and North Carolina, indicating significant investment in these judicial contests. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Montana Supreme Court elections face partisan challenges", https://mediabias.news/politics/montana-supreme-court-elections-face-partisan-challenges