Montana House Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick said Thursday he expects to file a lawsuit after Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued a ruling this week that could remove him and other Republican primary winners from the November ballot. The decision hinges on how the state counts terms for the purposes of term limit calculations — a question that Fitzpatrick, a Great Falls Republican, said has been interpreted inconsistently and now threatens to upend races that were already decided by voters in June.
Knudsen's ruling affects how prior legislative service is tallied under Montana's term limits law, and Fitzpatrick contends the interpretation is legally wrong. He announced his intent to sue to stay on the ballot, making him one of the most prominent figures in what could become a broader legal battle over candidate eligibility heading into the fall election cycle. The full scope of how many candidates may be affected has not been formally determined.
The dispute puts two senior Republicans in direct conflict weeks before the general election campaign ramps up. Fitzpatrick has served as House Majority Leader and is among the most recognizable figures in the Montana Legislature. A court challenge would likely move quickly given election filing deadlines, and the outcome could reshape down-ballot races across the state, including districts that touch Lewis and Clark County.