Judge Wilson Visits PCN, Malta, During Campaign

Honorable Judge Dan Wilson of Flathead County's District Court in Kalispell is running for Montana Supreme Court justice in the 2024 Election.

Wilson, a man with ties to Malta, stopped into the Phillips County News on Wednesday, August 21, right after a meet and greet event that his campaign held at the Great Northern Hotel in downtown Malta.

"My great-granddad (Hurley Wilson and wife Edna) homesteaded south of Malta in 1913," Wilson told the PCN. "My folks grew up here in Malta. Met and married shortly after high school."

His grandparents Bill and Bessie Mae Waters lived in Malta all of their lives, and current Malta Mayor John Demarais is his cousin.

Wilson was asked what voters in Phillips County should know about him.

"I have got 30 years of experience in the legal profession, both as a lawyer and then later as a judge," Wilson said. "When I heard that there was going to be a vacancy on our Supreme Court, because Justice Sandefur is retiring, I thought, you know, our Supreme Court is vital to the proper functioning of our government...

He continued stating that due to tensions between the Supreme Court and the Legislature, level headed justices that make legal decisions based on the Constitution rather than their own opinions or political pressures are needed.

"You have to get used to the fact that every time you make a decision, someone's going to be disappointed, if not upset," Wilson said. "But that can't be the reason that you make a ruling is to try to switch the groups in advance, you just have to go by the law and trust that those who enacted it or adopted it in the case of our constitution or our laws, those adopted by our legislature had enough wisdom, you know, adopt good public policy."

He said that his focus isn't going to war with the legislature or push against the legislature.

"I think for the long-term stability for Montana, we do want justices on our Supreme Court who are just going to stay in their lane and tow the line, so to speak."

Judge Wilson felt that the meet and greet at the GN was well attended and locals asked great questions.

"When you're running all around the state, as I am, trying to meet everyone that you can possibly talk to, the most heartening thing is to see that people really care about this," Wilson said. "This is not on the back burner for them, it's on the front burner."

He was asked what he thought of the US Supreme Court overruling the Chevron Doctrine.

"I know that there's a lot of sort of political outcry over the US Supreme Court overturning the Chevron doctrine, but what it really means in a nutshell, and for the long-term, aside from the short-term political consequences is that courts are going to stay in the business of interpreting laws," Wilson said.

He said that this year's ballot is an example of how ultimately the people have the power to amend our constitution.

Montana has a total of seven Supreme Court Justices. Judge Wilson is running against Judge Katherine Bidgeray from the Montana 7th Judicial District Court. Both are hoping to be Supreme Court Justice #3. During the primary election, Wilson earned the most votes amongst Phillips County voters with 538. Bidgeway was second with 367. Jerry O'Neil was third with 249.

The General election will take place on Tuesday, November 5.