Governor Greg Gianforte on Friday announced the appointment of Seth Cunningham and Edward Zink to serve as district court judges in the Thirteenth Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County.
“As accomplished attorneys with careers distinguished by their dedication to public service, Seth and Edward will continue the fair, consistent, and objective application of the law,” Gianforte said in a statement. “I look forward to their service to the people of Yellowstone County as members of the Thirteenth Judicial District Court.”
Cunningham, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000 and the University of Montana School of Law in 2009, has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for nearly two decades. He worked as an attorney at The Brown Law Firm for 16 years.
Zink earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Montana in 1993 and his law degree from the same institution in 1998. He has spent 26 years in the Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and served nearly a decade as a Special U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana.
The appointments come after the Montana Legislature passed, and the governor signed, House Bill 913 earlier this year, increasing the number of judges in Yellowstone County from eight to ten.
Following notification from the chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court on July 18 of the vacancies, Gianforte opened the application process on July 28 to qualified attorneys in good standing. Six applications were received, and a 30-day public comment period concluded on September 29, 2025.
An advisory council composed of attorneys and community leaders from Yellowstone County met publicly on October 10 to review candidates and consider public input before making recommendations to the governor.
Cunningham and Zink will now join the Thirteenth Judicial District Court, serving one of the busiest judicial districts in the state.