Uphold the nonpartisan judicial system

Recent efforts to transform nonpartisan judicial races into highly partisan contests are a direct threat to our democracy.

Despite heightened political rhetoric, a foundation of our system of government has always been a judiciary that does not answer to any political party, in which judges are fair, impartial and unbiased, and every person, regardless of race, gender or socio-economic status, is treated the same. 

Surely, we all realize that political winds blow to and fro; today’s majority is tomorrow’s minority. That is why it is critical to elect judges who are only answerable to the rule of law.

We are hopeful that every voter in this great state rejects the efforts to politicize the upcoming judicial elections and assesses each candidate on his or her commitment to uphold our independent and nonpartisan judicial system. We believe the survival of our democracy depends on it.

Katherine “Kitty” Curtis and Stewart E. Stadler are former Flathead District Court judges.