Montana judicial elections summary, 2014

Montana judicial elections, 2014
Overview
Total candidates:	27
Primary candidates:	11
General election candidates:	24
Incumbency
Incumbents:	17
Incumbent success rate:	94%
Competition - general election
Percent of candidates in contested races:	58%
Percent uncontested:	0%
Percent retention:	42%

2015 → ← 2013
Judicial Elections
Judicial elections, 2014
Judicial election dates
Candidates by state
Supreme court elections

In 2014, Montana held just seven judicial races, including two contested seats on the Montana Supreme Court. In the six races where incumbents were challenged, all were successfully re-elected.

A total of 27 judicial candidates ran for election in Montana in 2014. Ten judges stood in retention elections, all of whom were retained. With an average retention rate of 85.9%, Montana had the highest retention success rate among all states holding retention elections that year.

For general election results, see: Montana judicial elections, 2014.
For primary election results, see: Montana judicial primary elections, 2014.

Interesting races

• Although all judges facing retention were successfully re-elected, Debra Williams of the Butte Justice Court received the highest percentage of "yes" votes at 90.5%. The lowest retention percentage went to James A. Haynes of the 21st Judicial District Court, who was still retained with 79.8% of the vote.
• Two incumbent justices on the Montana Supreme Court secured new eight-year terms. Justice Michael E. Wheat won re-election with 59.0% of the vote, defeating Lawrence VanDyke, Montana’s solicitor general. Similarly, Justice James Rice was re-elected with 78.0% of the vote, defeating W. David Herbert, a private attorney and licensed podiatrist.

• Results of the five other contested races:

• 7th District Court, Dept. 2

• Janet Christoffersen, 49%A
• Katherine M. Bidegaray (I), 51%A

• 13th District Court, Dept. 5

• Rod Souza, 55.4%A
• William J. Speare, 44.6%A

• 20th District Court, Dept. 1

• James Manley (I), 62%A
• Mark Russell, 37%A

• Boulder Justice Court, Seat 1

• Cynthia R. Burns, 34.7%A
• Dennis H. Giulio (I), 65.2%A

• Cascade County Justice Court, Seat 1

• Eric Bailey, 40%A
• Mary Jolley (I), 60%A

See also

• Montana judicial elections, 2014
• Montana elections
• Portal:Judicial elections
• Judicial selection in Montana
• Montana

External links

• Montana Secretary of State, "Official election results"

Footnotes

Montana courts

---

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Montana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Montana

State courts:

Montana Supreme Court • Montana District Courts • Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction • Montana Water Court • Montana Workers' Compensation Court

State resources:

Courts in Montana • Montana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Montana