Flathead Judge Amy Eddy Wins Seat on Montana Supreme Court
Eddy defeated her opponent and colleague Judge Dan Wilson with 59% of the vote, leaving her district seat for the governor to fill
By Maggie Dresser
Flathead County District Court Judge Amy Eddy won a seat on the Montana Supreme Court, defeating her opponent and colleague with 59% of the vote in the nonpartisan race.
Eddy received 254,291 votes while Flathead County District Court Judge Dan Wilson received 176,480 votes of 430,771 ballots cast.
In Flathead County, Eddy received 51% of the vote while Wilson received 49%. She will replace Justice Beth Baker, who is retiring after three terms on the bench.
Wilson previously ran for the Supreme Court in 2024, losing his bid to Justice Katherine Bidegaray by more than eight points.
Eddy’s victory in the nonpartisan race comes amid tension over judicial partisanship that has drawn controversy in recent years. The issue prompted ballot initiatives such as CI-132, which asked voters to amend the Montana Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan. Voters passed the initiative with 68% of vote. The initiative followed a failed effort by lawmakers to alter the judiciary during the 2023 Legislature.
In her bid, Eddy, 50, vowed to bring a “fair and impartial” approach to the Supreme Court and only accepted endorsements only from other judges and organizations unaffiliated with a political party.
“I’m delighted to have won the election,” Eddy said. “It was really an overwhelming margin of victory, and I think it’s a pretty clear signal from Montana voters that they wanted an independent, nonpartisan judiciary.”
Eddy has served as a Flathead County District Court judge since 2015, when then-Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, appointed her. Growing up in Stanley, Idaho, she earned her law degree at the University of Montana and spent 15 years in private practice after moving to Kalispell.
In 2017, Eddy was appointed to the Montana Asbestos Claims Court, which resolved thousands of cases tied to toxic asbestos exposure from vermiculite mining in Libby that languished in the court system after W.R. Grace filed for bankruptcy.
Eddy also did appellate work for the Montana Supreme Court, including a case the U.S. Supreme Court overturned as inconsistent with Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The state attempted to carve out an exception in the Citizens United case, but the federal ruling recognized free-speech rights for corporate spending in elections.
Eddy’s work on that case underscored her view that Montana’s judicial elections should be nonpartisan, that candidates should not align themselves with political parties and that the public “has the right to a fair and impartial judiciary.” Any judge affiliated with a political party, Eddy said, is in violation of the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct.
Reflecting on her tenure as a Flathead County District Court judge, she said she has loved the job, which continues through the remainder of the year.
Eddy’s district court seat in Flathead County is now open following the election. Gov. Greg Gianforte must appoint a judge to replace her by Nov. 29, 2026. Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner was the only applicant by the Sept. 29 deadline.
Following 30 days of public comment, the 11th Judicial District Advisory Council will meet Thursday, Nov. 5 in Flathead County District Court for a candidate interview and discussion at 1 p.m. The council will vote on a recommendation to the governor at the conclusion. The meeting is open to the public.