Gustafson and Brown advance after Montana Supreme Court primary

Montana Supreme Court Justice Ingrid Gustafson and current Public Service Commission Chair James Brown have emerged as the top two vote-getters in the non-partisan primary election for the high court’s second seat, setting up a general election clash at a time of high political visibility for the court.

Gustafson, who has served on the state Supreme Court since late 2017, netted about 100,000 votes with more than 60% counted as of late Tuesday

“I’m very honored and thankful that Montana voters have given me the opportunity to do the work that I want to do and run for election to the Supreme Court in the general election,” Gustafson said Tuesday night. “I’m eager to continue serving Montanans and to continue to build on my 20 years of judicial experience.”

Brown received about 66,000 votes, enough to secure the second spot in the three-way primary but still trailing Gustafson by 16 points. Montana Supreme Court primaries are non-partisan, though electoral politics often seep in. The two candidates with the most votes continue to the November general election.

“I’m humbled to see this level of support for my candidacy from Montanans residing all across the Treasure State, and to have earned your trust as we work together to restore faith in our judiciary system and in the rule of law,” Brown said in a statement Tuesday evening.

The third candidate in the race was Montana First Judicial District Court Judge Mike McMahon, who conceded Tuesday evening with roughly 30,000 votes, lagging behind Brown by almost 20 points.

The Montana Free Press is a nonprofit newsroom based in Helana. To read the article as originally published, click here.