Two seats on the Montana Supreme Court, which hears cases appealed from lower courts and oversees the state judicial system. In districts that had more than two candidates, the two who received the most votes in the June primary advanced to the November general election. Montana judicial elections are nonpartisan.
Montana Supreme Court
Candidates
Key coverage in the race for Montana Supreme Court
Race profile: Justice and challenger square off in state Supreme Court race
Incumbent Laurie McKinnon and challenger Mike Black make their cases for the nonpartisan position.
Campaign finance
No campaign finance data compiled for this race at this time.
Primary results
Vote totals from Montana's June 2, 2020 primary election.
State Supreme Court, District 5
| Candidate | Votes counted | % of vote | Votes behind |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAURIE MCKINNON | 169,534 | 53.3% | 0 |
| MIKE BLACK | 94,437 | 29.7% | 75,097 |
| MARS SCOTT | 54,030 | 17.0% | 115,504 |
State Supreme Court, District 6
| Candidate | Votes counted | % of vote | Votes behind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JIM SHEA | 298,960 | 100.0% | 0 |
Media coverage
Stories tracked in our database of 2020 election coverage.
Northern Broadcasting System
Montana Supreme Court Candidate Series: Justice Laurie McKinnon — Northern Broadcasting System, Inc.
05/05/2020
MTN News
Montana Supreme Court justice faces two challengers in rare primary contest
05/04/2020
Billings Gazette
3 candidates vying in primary election for Montana Supreme Court seat
05/02/2020
Northern Broadcasting System
Montana Supreme Court Candidate Series: Mars Scott — Northern Broadcasting System, Inc.
04/28/2020
Char-Koosta News
Missoula attorney Mars Scott vying for seat on Montana Supreme Court
03/19/2020
Montana Public Radio
Montana Supreme Court Candidates Relying Mostly On Self Funding
01/06/2020
MTN News
MT SupCo Justice McKinnon changes mind; will run for re-election
11/17/2019
Missoulian
Scott files for Montana Supreme Court
11/14/2019
MTN News
Helena lawyer, judge eyeing open Montana Supreme Court seat in 2020
06/28/2019
Stay tuned for more
We'll be updating this page with new information through Election Day in November 2020.
Have ideas about additional coverage that would be helpful as you consider your vote? Tell us at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.