Our guide to the WA supreme court election

Good afternoon! Washington's mid-term elections are just around the corner (ballots will be mailed out mid-October and are due in a ballot box by 8 pm Nov 3). While there are plenty of high-profile races on the ballot, one that often requires a little assistance are the state supreme court races.

This year, there are elections for five seats on the state's highest court, and they've received an unusually high amount of campaign spending. According to Washington State Standard, the right-wing political action committee Concerned Taxpayers of Washington has raised nearly half a million dollars to back three preferred candidates, while the left-leaning group Beware the Attack on Our Courts has raised about $400,000 from unions and progressive organizations to support more liberal candidates.

The court will be deciding important cases soon, including the constitutionality of the newly-passed millionaires tax and potential changes to the state's bail bond system.

Here are my endorsements for the five seats up for election in November:

Supreme Court Justice Position #1: Colleen Melody

After the retirement of longtime justice Mary Yu, governor Bob Ferguson appointed Colleen Melody to position #1. Though she has no judicial experience, Melody led the civil right division of the attorney general's office under Ferguson, where she challenged the first Trump administration's Muslim travel ban. She'll be a solid progressive on the state's highest court, while her opponent, Scott Edwards, a tax attorney who's opposed a state income tax, is backed by the state GOP.

Supreme Court Justice Position #3: Jamie Hawk

In the race to replace retiring justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis (the first Indigenous member of the state supreme court) I recommend voting for Jamie Hawk, a former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. She's facing former Mason county superior court judge David Stevens, who's supported by the state Republican party and whose website prominently highlights an endorsement from the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs.

Supreme Court Justice Position #4: Ian Birk

After the mandatory retirement of justice Charles Johnson (Washington justices must retire at age 75), a costly battle is shaping up between Ian Birk, a state appeals court judge and Sean O’Donnell, a King county superior court judge. O'Donnell has the backing of the Seattle Times, former Republican attorney general Rob McKenna, and some centrist Democrats such as Congressional Rep Adam Smith and former governor Christine Gregoire. Birk has the backing of Rep. Pramila Jayapal and former governor Jay Inslee. The two campaign have each raised more than $300,000 each. Birk has the experience and awareness of the impacts of rulings on vulnerable communities. I recommend a vote for Birk.

Supreme Court Justice Position #5: Theo Angelis

After justice Barbara Madsen retired, Ferguson appointed Theo Angelis, a former litigation and intellectual property attorney, to the court. Angelis is backed by wide range of Democratic office holders and the state labor council, while his opponent, Dave Larson, a retired Federal Way municipal court judge, is supported by the state Republican party. Vote for Angelis.

Supreme Court Justice Position #7: Debra L. Stephens

Justice Debra Stephens, who's served on the court since 2008, is the current chief justice and has a wealth of experience – she wrote the groundbreaking 2012 ruling McCleary v. State, which found that the state legislature had failed to meet its constitutional duty to adequately fund K-12 education. She's being challenged by Todd Bloom, a former attorney. Cascadia Journal recommends voting for Stephens.