Jeremiah Lynch

Montana Free Press “Election 2024 Guide” and survey for Jeremiah Lynch.

Jerry Lynch “Jerry Lynch: An historic election for Montana’s judiciary in 2024” Montana Standard (October 19, 2023). 

• “My motivating purpose is to protect the 1972 Montana State Constitution. It has withstood the test of time, having been written in a truly non-partisan manner and approved overwhelmingly by Montana voters. The Montana State Constitution protects our rights to privacy, individual dignity, a clean and healthful environment, our agricultural way of life, a no-cost public education and many, many more. These constitutional rights are the result of ordinary citizens banding together to reject a long heritage of puppet politicians and corporate control our state and our resources, and to instead embrace a government 'of the people, by the people, for the people.' We need to do the same again.” 
• “I am a candidate for the Montana Supreme Court because I have the experience, independence, demeanor and dedication to protect Montana’s Constitution and people. My candidacy is not inspired by personal ambition, nor is it fueled by out-of-state corporate lobbyists and political extremists seeking to control Montana’s future and to undermine our constitutional rights.” 

“I entered this crucial race for chief justice to preserve, defend and fight for the impartiality and independence of the courts – an independence that's essential for the protection of our constitutional freedoms – that’s why I’m in this race," said Lynch.  

Lynch said "The Constitution... and by extent the judiciary, exists to protect minority interests from those of the majority." “You can stack a bunch of bricks and call it a democracy, but that can be knocked over unless you have the foundation and the mortar" — the judiciary — “to hold that together[.]" 

• "He believes in upholding the principles of fairness and impartiality, making him the ideal candidate for the chief justiceship.”
  
• “Jerry is actively involved in his community, volunteering his time and expertise to support various initiatives aimed at promoting access to justice and equality.” 

Posted to Facebook March 13, 2024 “Let us come together as Montanans who rise above political rhetoric to support Judge Jerry Lynch as he seeks to uphold the rule of law and defend the principles that define our great state. Together, we can ensure that Montana’s highest court remains an independent and balanced hall of justice for all.” (See Cox, Randy, et al. “There is no substitute for wisdom and experience” Daily Inter Lake (March 13, 2024)). 

See video “12 Reasons I am Running for Chief Justice on the Montana Supreme Court” 

• Reasons 1-10 are his grandchildren and family
• Reason 11 is Montana family's and children
  
• Reason 12 is future generations

See video "Judge Jerry Lynch for Chief Justice, Montana Supreme Court 2024."

When discussing why he is running for election to Montana Supreme Court he stated, 

• "[W]e need to ensure, as their stewards, that the future generations, our grandchildren, can rest assured that their right to individual dignity, their right to equal protection, their right to privacy will allow them to make the decisions that they need to make to inform how they wish to lead their life. Free from government interference, especially when it comes to reproductive rights, but in every respect.

From ABC News article by Tab Axelrod "How abortion is reshaping some races to become powerful state judges" (March 21, 2024)). 

• When asked to comment on the state of abortion in Montana Lynch responded,
  • "I can't comment upon how that may play out because that request may still be pending before the court when I'm chief justice. But I will say, and I emphasize, precedent is essential to stability in the legal system," Lynch said, referencing Knudsen's request." 
  • "I would say that I'm in tune with, if you will, and understand the importance of reproductive autonomy across the board. But what I'm trying to emphasize is that in Montana, and probably elsewhere, but in Montana, where I'm focused -- it goes to the individual privacy and individual dignity that our constitution enshrines," he added. "In Montana, that's not up to the government. It's up to the individuals."  

When discussing why Jeremiah Lynch is running for election to the Montana Supreme Court, Lynch said, “[Montana citizens]] need to be assured of a number of things. Number one: They need to be assured that they will have the opportunity for a free quality public education[.]"

“I was one of five siblings. All of us got college educations, the first ones in our family. I hate to use that because sometimes that’s overdone, but to us, it was very, very important,” Lynch said. “We were union-raised. And what I mean by that is that I had a grandfather who died of black lung disease. My wife…had a grandfather who died of black lung disease. And so the union’s influence in our life was tremendous. From my perspective, they made life equal.” 

From MTFP. "Election 2024 Guide: Montana's Candidates for State and Federal Office." Montana Free Press, digital project by Jerry Lynch, 9 Jul. 2024.

• “Montanans of all political stripes face assaults on their constitutional rights and attempts by partisan extremists and out-of-state corporate interests to rest control of government from the hands of the people,” Lynch told MTFP. “The Montana Constitution is a living document that derives its power from the consent of the governed. If we ignore it, or demean it, or allow it to be chipped away by whatever political party is currently in the majority, we will have only ourselves to blame when our government ceases to function.”
• "Lynch also told MTFP his legal philsophy is simply to issue rulings based on the facts of the case and existing law and precedent."
  

According to an article in KTVH, "Lynch has also pushed back against what he sees as attacks on the court, including from political leaders who have accused [the court] of overstepping its role. He said the current Supreme Court justices have been 'moderate,' and he criticized the second candidate, Cory Swanson, for saying he wanted to remove political bias from the judiciary." (Ambarian, Jonathon. "MTN Profiles Candidates for Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice." KTVH, 16 May 2024.)