WASHINGTON — Washington voters will have an unusually large say in the makeup of the state’s highest court Tuesday, with five of the Washington Supreme Court’s nine seats up for election.
The number stems from a combination of retirements and regularly scheduled elections.
Justices Mary Yu and Barbara Madsen retired before completing their terms, leading Gov. Bob Ferguson to appoint Colleen Melody and Theo Angelis, respectively. Both appointees are now facing voters in special elections.
Positions 3 and 4 are open because Raquel Montoya-Lewis is not seeking reelection and Charles Johnson cannot seek another term under the state’s mandatory judicial retirement age.
In Position 7, incumbent Debra Stephens is seeking another term.
This election is the first time in recent history that a majority of the court’s seats have been up for election at the same time. Supreme Court justices serve six-year terms, making an election involving this many positions particularly unusual.
The Washington Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and has the final say on questions of state law, hearing matters ranging from criminal cases and civil lawsuits to challenges involving state laws. Judicial races in Washington are nonpartisan.
Here are the candidates voters will see on their ballots.
Position 1: Colleen Melody and Scott Edwards
Melody joined the Supreme Court after Ferguson appointed her to replace Yu. She previously led the Washington Attorney General’s Office Wing Luke Civil Rights Division and earlier worked for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Her work at the Attorney General’s Office included litigation involving President Donald Trump’s first travel ban and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Edwards has spent more than 30 years representing Washington taxpayers and more than 20 years teaching state and local tax law at the University of Washington School of Law. He says he is running to bring an independent voice, principled judgment, and a focus on the rule of law to the court.
The winner will serve the final two years of Yu’s term.
To learn more about Melody’s campaign, visit her website.
To learn more about Edward’s campaign, visit his website.
Position 3: Jaime Hawk and David Stevens
Hawk is a King County Superior Court judge whose legal experience includes work as a state and federal public defender and an attorney with the ACLU of Washington. She has also worked as an adjunct law professor, federal judicial law clerk, and attorney fellow to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee staff. In explaining her candidacy, Hawk has emphasized judicial independence, constitutional rights, and the rule of law.
Stevens is a Superior Court judge whose career has included work as a prosecutor, public defender, and criminal-defense attorney. His experience also includes work as a federal and international prosecutor. Stevens says his approach relies on an interpretation of the state’s constitution as originally intended, “not on evolving societal standards.”
The position is open because Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, who has held the seat since 2020, is not seeking reelection.
To learn more about Hawk, visit her campaign website.
To learn more about Stevens, visit his campaign website.
Position 4: Ian Birk and Sean O’Donnell
Birk currently serves on the Washington Court of Appeals, where he says he has written more than 200 opinions involving constitutional, civil, and criminal issues. Before becoming a judge, he spent about two decades as a civil litigator and previously clerked for a Washington Supreme Court justice.
O’Donnell has served as a King County Superior Court judge since 2013 and previously spent 12 years as a deputy prosecutor. His experience includes serving as a Supreme Court justice pro tem and holding leadership positions within Superior Court. His candidate materials emphasize impartiality, protecting constitutional rights, and recognizing how court decisions affect individuals.
The winner will replace Charles Johnson, who has held the seat since 1991 and cannot run again because of Washington’s mandatory judicial retirement age.
To learn more about Birk’s campaign, visit his website.
To learn more about O’Donnell’s campaign, visit his website.
Position 5: Theo Angelis and Dave Larson
Angelis is another recently appointed member of the court. Ferguson appointed him earlier this year to replace retiring Madsen. Before joining the Supreme Court, Angelis had 25 years of legal experience, including appeals, intellectual property, and general litigation. He also performed pro bono work involving unrepresented minors in immigration proceedings.
Larson previously spent 18 years as a Federal Way Municipal Court judge and 23 years as a trial lawyer. He says his experience has given him a view of how Supreme Court decisions affect trial courts and communities and has made restoring public confidence in the courts a focus of his campaign.
The winner will complete the remaining two years of Madsen’s term.
To learn more about Angelis’s campaign, visit his website.
To learn more about Larsen’s campaign, visit his website.
Position 7: Debra Stephens and Todd Bloom
Stephens has served on the Washington Supreme Court since 2008 and previously served on the Washington Court of Appeals. She has also taught at Gonzaga University School of Law. Stephens says she wants to continue working to improve access to justice and court transparency while strengthening public confidence in the rule of law.
Bloom is an attorney, certified public accountant, small-business owner, financial planner, and Navy veteran. He describes his judicial philosophy as applying the Constitution, state statutes, and legal precedent to cases while emphasizing impartial decision-making and accountability.
Unlike Positions 1 and 5, where recently appointed justices are facing voters, and Positions 3 and 4, where no incumbent is seeking another term, Position 7 features a sitting justice seeking reelection.
To learn more about Stephen’s campaign, visit her website.
To learn more about Bloom’s campaign, visit his website.