Supreme Court candidates dodge, and leverage, political rhetoric

Judicial forums are not typically known for their entertainment. But during an hour of questions and answers at a late September forum in Great Falls, hosted by the Montana Farmers Union, the four nonpartisan candidates for the open seats on the Montana Supreme Court successfully conveyed that their races are far from boring.

Two sitting state district court judges, Katherine Bidegaray of Sidney and Dan Wilson of Kalispell, are vying for the associate justice position currently held by Justice Dirk Sandefur. In the other race, Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson and former federal magistrate Jeremiah “Jerry” Lynch, a Missoula resident raised in Butte, are facing off to replace retiring Chief Justice Mike McGrath.

None of the candidates are allowed to run as Republicans or Democrats. But that hasn’t stopped political parties and special interest groups from saturating the campaign with mailers and online advertisements, as has become a tradition in Montana judicial races.

Speaking before the audience gathered in a conference room at the Great Falls International Airport, all the candidates acknowledged the charged political environment surrounding their races but stressed their commitment to judicial independence.

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