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Greenwood, Farris-Olsen lead in Supreme Court clerk primaries • Daily Montanan [1]

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Date: 2024-06-04  

Incumbent Republican Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court Bowen Greenwood holds a narrow lead over Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth in his primary for the seat, but the winner will almost certainly face Democratic Helena attorney Erin Farris-Olsen and Libertarian Roger Roots in November.

Greenwood led Ellsworth 53% to 47% as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, a gap of about 5,000 votes, while Farris-Olsen was leading Jordan Ophus in the Democratic primary 84% to 16% and about 40,000 votes. Roots ran unopposed in the Libertarian primary.

The position, though partisan, is mostly an administrative role; the clerk checks paperwork for compliance with court rules and acts as the Supreme Court’s custodian of records.

But the primary gained more attention this year when Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican, jumped in the race just ahead of the filing deadline in March as he grew increasingly incensed with decisions from the Supreme Court that have struck down Republican-passed bills or went against their preferred outcomes.

Even if he loses the primary for the clerk position, Ellsworth still has two years left on his term in the Montana Senate.

Greenwood was previously the executive director of the Montana Republican Party and has also voiced his displeasure with the justices on the court, whom he has called “progressive ideologues,” and during his campaign has touted his right-wing credentials to voters.

Farris-Olsen has campaigned on protecting judicial integrity and previously clerked for the Supreme Court and worked for the office of the state court administrator. Ophus has said he does not believe the office should be partisan and should simply work to support the court without a party slant.

Greenwood won office in 2018 by defeating Democrat Rex Renk 51% to 43%, while Roots brought in 6% of the vote. Greenwood ran unopposed in that year’s primary.

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[1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2024/06/04/greenwood-farris-olsen-lead-in-supreme-court-clerk-primaries/

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