Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner has put his name forward to fill the expected vacancy in district court following this year's election.  

Flathead County District Court Judges Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson are both vying to replace retiring Justice Beth Baker on the Montana Supreme Court, which will leave the Eleventh Judicial District short one jurist come January. Gov. Greg Gianforte on Sept. 1 began soliciting applications from lawyers in good standing interested in succeeding the eventual winner of the state Supreme Court race. 

State law charges the governor with appointing a replacement to any vacant Montana Supreme Court justice or district court judge positions.  

Ahner, who is seeking a third term as county attorney, submitted his application Sept. 4, writing that his pursuit of the position stemmed in part from his lifelong passion for public service.  

"I am seeking office as a district court judge both out of a sense of duty and the desire to preserve my community and the Montana values that make the Flathead such a wonderful place in which to live," Ahner wrote.    

On Wednesday, the Governor's Office indicated that Gianforte was seeking public comment on Ahner's candidacy. Comments, including letters of support, can be submitted to [email protected] or by mail to Caitlin Wagoner, Governor's Office, P.O. Box 200801, Helena, Montana 59620.  

All comments must be submitted by 5 p.m., Oct. 30.  

Ahner became the Flathead Valley's top prosecutor in 2018 after working as a deputy county attorney in the office and a special assistant U.S. attorney. A Republican, Ahner has been twice reelected to the post. He also served as an adjunct professor at Carroll College, his alma mater, in 2008 and worked as a law clerk for the Montana Supreme Court between 2007 and 2008.  

Ahner graduated from Carroll College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and English following a one-year stint at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2007.  

As for prior experience on the bench, Ahner served as a substitute judge in Kalispell Municipal Court between 2013 and 2018. He estimated he sat on the bench 60 or 70 times during that period, hearing roughly three to five cases during each appearance.  

Ahner described himself as a proponent of textualism, or the seeking of the plain meaning of the text in a document like the Constitution. Even so, he has an appreciation of legal precedent and the separation of powers, he wrote.  

Judges must be knowledgeable of the law and legal principles, objective and practical, Ahner wrote in his application.  

"A judge's decisions should be governed by the facts of the case and the applicable law, not by agenda or a desired outcome," Ahner wrote.  

Ahner's full application is available at governor.mt.gov/Judicial_Nominations/Vacancies. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.