Groups Aiming to Keep Montana’s Courts Nonpartisan Consolidate Efforts, Back Single Initiative for 2026 Ballot
The announcement comes after both Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges and Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts prevailed in a pair of lawsuits shooting down rewrites to their initiatives from the attorney general
By Mariah Thomas
A pair of groups championing ballot initiatives aimed at maintaining nonpartisan courts in Montana announced Thursday they’d be consolidating their efforts, aiming to garner support for a single initiative — Constitutional Initiative 132 — that, if passed, would ensure all judicial elections in Montana remain nonpartisan.
The announcement comes after both Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges and Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts prevailed in a pair of lawsuits shooting down rewrites to their initiatives from the attorney general. Both groups’ initiatives were eligible, after the lawsuits’ resolutions, to begin collecting signatures.
Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges submitted Constitutional Initiative 131, which would have required only Supreme Court and district court judge races remain nonpartisan.
Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts put forth CI-132, which aims to make all court races — the Supreme Court, district courts, water courts, courts of limited jurisdiction and others — nonpartisan.
It’s CI-132 the groups have decided to move forward with. Ted Dick, the original submitter of CI-131, requested CI-131 be withdrawn with the Montana Secretary of State’s office.
“Our withdrawal of CI-131 and endorsement of CI-132 signals a united effort to protect Montana voters’ 90-year right to nonpartisan judicial elections,” Dick said. “Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges believes Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts has a strong policy and the resources to ensure the initiative qualifies for the ballot, which is why we have chosen to formally endorse CI-132.”
The ballot language for CI-132 states: “CI-132 amends the Montana Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan.”
Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts began signature gathering efforts in December. The group has until June 19 to collect the required number of signatures to qualify for the November 2026 general election ballot. Thanks to new legislation passed in the most recent session, signatures must be submitted on a rolling basis to the Secretary of State’s office.
The groups’ efforts to keep court races nonpartisan come on the heels of a legislative session that saw several failed proposals to make Montana court races a partisan affair.