Rick Jore

Rick Jore, a Montana businessman, was in 2004 a Constitution Party candidate for the Montana House of Representatives. Initial vote totals would have made him the first candidate of the Constitution Party elected to a state legislature; however a later recount and court ruling gave the seat to the Democratic candidate. He had served as a Republican legislator for three terms in the 1990s.

Jore, born and raised in Ronan, Montana, studied at North Idaho College and now operates a trout hatchery. First elected as a Republican in 1994, Jore served three terms in the legislature before leaving the Republican Party in 2000. Jore ran again for the legislature in 2000 and 2002 as a Constitution Party candidate and was narrowly defeated in both attempts. Initial returns showed Jore winning election in Montana House district 12 in 2004, defeating his Democratic opponent by a margin of only 1 vote in a three-way race. In a legislature divided between 50 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and with a Democratic governor, Jore's alignment was expected to determine the partisan alignment of the state house.

However, given the closeness of the race, an automatic recount was initiated, showing the race tied between Jore and Democrat Jeanne Windham. Windham then filed suit, arguing that seven ballots marked for both Jore and the Republican candidate should not have been counted for Jore. On December 28, 2004, the Montana Supreme Court ruled in Windham's favor, effectively giving her the seat, and giving control of the Montana House to the Democrats.

External link

• Campaign website
• Constitution Party press release