Matt Jennings

Democratincumbent

County Attorney · Missoula County, Montana · November 3, 2026

Unopposed on this ballot.

Matt Jennings is the sitting Missoula County Attorney, appointed in March 2024 and elected unopposed that November after a decade as a prosecutor in the office; he is unopposed again in 2026. He has described his approach as balancing accountability and victim services with offender rehabilitation and addressing substance use and mental health.

What this office decides

The County Attorney prosecutes felonies across Missoula County and misdemeanors outside city limits, and serves as the county government's lawyer. The office decides what to charge, when to offer diversion or plea agreements, and which cases go to trial. Elected in a partisan race to a four-year term.

How this race lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web search

Donald Trump: nothing found. No Trump endorsement or criticism of Jennings was found in a 2026 search; the race is uncontested.

Who they are

Matt Jennings holds this seat. County commissioners appointed him interim county attorney on March 14, 2024, after Kirsten Pabst retired, and he won the November 2024 election to finish her term through 2026 (Missoula County). He joined the office in 2014 and was chief criminal deputy from 2019; earlier he clerked for District Judge Karen Townsend and worked for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (KPAX, 2024-03-14). He is unopposed in 2026 (MTFP, 2026-03-06).

Positions

Crime & policing: On his appointment he said he would advance "innovative and creative approaches to criminal justice by balancing accountability and victim services with offender rehabilitation and targeting the root causes of criminal behavior, like substance use and mental health" (KPAX, 2024-03-14). His office runs Calibrate, a prosecution-led pretrial diversion program for first-time offenders begun in 2019; those who complete it have charges dismissed (Missoula County).
Jail costs: Said a 2025 bill reimbursing counties for jailing people awaiting state-hospital placement "goes a long way to helping us recoup the cost," while urging long-term solutions (KPAX/MTFP).

Record

His office charged sheriff's deputy Michael Baker with speeding in a fatal May 2024 crash; a jury acquitted him in April 2026. Jennings said "everybody be held to the same standards" and "We should all be thankful for the dedicated, quality and professional law enforcement in this community" (NBC Montana, 2026-04-03).

Money

The state campaign finance database (CERS) could not be read by automated tools; no fundraising coverage found. He ran unopposed in 2024 with no campaign website (Branch).

What we couldn't find

A 2026 campaign platform or website.
Specific positions on bail, sentencing, or charging policy.
Campaign finance totals.

Sources (9)