title: 2018 Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court election
text: # 2018 Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court election
  
  Elections in Montana :
  
  Federal government
  
  Presidential elections
  
  1892
  
  1896
  
  1900
  
  1904
  
  1908
  
  1912
  
  1916
  
  1920
  
  1924
  
  1928
  
  1932
  
  1936
  
  1940
  
  1944
  
  1948
  
  1952
  
  1956
  
  1960
  
  1964
  
  1968
  
  1972
  
  1976
  
  1980
  
  1984
  
  1988
  
  1992
  
  1996
  
  2000
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  2024
  
  Presidential primaries
  
  Democratic
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  Republican
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  2024
  
  U.S. Senate elections
  
  1890
  
  1895
  
  1895 sp
  
  1899
  
  1901
  
  1901 sp
  
  1905
  
  1907
  
  1911
  
  1913
  
  1916
  
  1918
  
  1922
  
  1924
  
  1928
  
  1930
  
  1934
  
  1934 sp
  
  1936
  
  1940
  
  1942
  
  1946
  
  1948
  
  1952
  
  1954
  
  1958
  
  1960
  
  1964
  
  1966
  
  1970
  
  1972
  
  1976
  
  1978
  
  1982
  
  1984
  
  1988
  
  1990
  
  1994
  
  1996
  
  2000
  
  2002
  
  2006
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2014
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2024
  
  2026
  
  U.S. House of Representatives elections
  
  1889
  
  1890
  
  1892
  
  1894
  
  1896
  
  1898
  
  1900
  
  1902
  
  1904
  
  1906
  
  1908
  
  1910
  
  1912
  
  1914
  
  1916
  
  1918
  
  1920
  
  1922
  
  1924
  
  1926
  
  1928
  
  1930
  
  1932
  
  1934
  
  1936
  
  1938
  
  1940
  
  1942
  
  1944
  
  1945
  
  2nd sp
  
  1946
  
  1948
  
  1950
  
  1952
  
  1954
  
  1956
  
  1958
  
  1960
  
  1962
  
  1964
  
  1966
  
  1968
  
  1969
  
  2nd sp
  
  1970
  
  1972
  
  1974
  
  1976
  
  1978
  
  1980
  
  1982
  
  1984
  
  1986
  
  1988
  
  1990
  
  1992
  
  1994
  
  1996
  
  1998
  
  2000
  
  2002
  
  2004
  
  2006
  
  2008
  
  2010
  
  2012
  
  2014
  
  2016
  
  2017
  
  AL sp
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2022
  
  2024 :
  
  State government
  
  General elections
  
  2010
  
  2016
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2022
  
  Gubernatorial elections
  
  1889
  
  1892
  
  1896
  
  1900
  
  1904
  
  1908
  
  1912
  
  1916
  
  1920
  
  1924
  
  1928
  
  1932
  
  1936
  
  1940
  
  1944
  
  1948
  
  1952
  
  1956
  
  1960
  
  1964
  
  1968
  
  1972
  
  1976
  
  1980
  
  1984
  
  1988
  
  1992
  
  1996
  
  2000
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  2024
  
  Secretary of State elections
  
  2020
  
  Attorney General elections
  
  2020
  
  Senate elections
  
  2016
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2022
  
  House of Representatives elections
  
  2000
  
  2002
  
  2004
  
  2006
  
  2008
  
  2010
  
  2012
  
  2014
  
  2016
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2022 :
  
  Ballot measures
  
  1894Capital referendum
  
  2004Initiative 96
  
  2012Referendum 121
  
  2016Initiative 182
  
  2020Initiative 190 :
  
  vte :
  
  The 2018 Montana Supreme Court Clerk election was held on November 6, 2018 to elect the Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court. The election was part of the 2018 Montana elections.
  
  Incumbent Democratic Clerk Ed Smith opted not to run for re-election. Republican Bowen Greenwood and Democrat Rex Renk won their respective primaries uncontested.
  
  ## Democratic primary
  
  ### Candidates
  
  **Declared**
  
  * Rex Renk, deputy clerk of the Montana Supreme Court
  
  **Declined**
  
  * Ed Smith, incumbent
  
  ### Results
  
  Democratic primary results :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Rex Renk | 95,361 | 100.0 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,361 | 100.0 |
  
  ## Republican primary
  
  ### Candidates
  
  **Declared**
  
  * Bowen Greenwood, communications director for the Montana Public Service Commission
  
  ### Results
  
  Republican primary results :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Bowen Greenwood | 124,567 | 100.0 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 124,567 | 100.0 |
  
  ## General election
  
  ### Campaign
  
  The campaign for the office was relatively low-profile compared to those for United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Democratic nominee Rex Renk ran on his experience as deputy clerk, and argued that the office should be non-partisan, as the role is non-political. Republican nominee Bowen Greenwood agreed that the office's work is non-partisan but said that Montanans may want to elect someone who shares their values in non-partisan offices as well. Libertarian nominee Roger Roots said that he would work to "maximize the right of the individual" if elected.
  
  Renk's campaign mascot was a Tyrannosaurus rex.
  
  ### Endorsements
  
  **Statewide officials**
  
  * Ed Smith, incumbent Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court
  
  **Newspapers and other media**
  
  * The Missoulian
  
  **State legislators**
  
  * Russell Fagg, district judge in Yellowstone County, Montana (1995–2017) and state representative from the 89th district (1991–1995)
  
  ### Results
  
  2018 Montana Supreme Court Clerk election :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Bowen Greenwood | 247,130 | 51.45 | +51.45% |
  | | Democratic | Rex Renk | 204,411 | 42.56 | -14.31% |
  | | Libertarian | Roger Roots | 28,760 | 5.99 | -37.14% |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 480,301 | 100.0 | N/A |
  | | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
  