Richard Sanders may seek another Supreme Court seat
Lynne Varner, the Seattle Times editorial writer who may have single-handedly defeated Justice Richard Sanders' re-election bid, has a fascinating column about the former state supreme court justice.
Sanders recently met with Varner. He mentioned that he may seek the bench again, which is not unexpected. But the story includes this bombshell: "Sanders says he won't try to unseat the man who beat him last fall, Justice Charlie Wiggins. That contest is too far away. But Justice Gerry Alexander retires at the end of the year and Sanders would like to be the governor-appointed successor."
Definitely worth following...
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Justice Richard Sanders certainly presented a strong libertarian viewpoint on the Supreme Court. Quoting the Washington Constitution, he frequently stressed that the role of government is to “protect and maintain individual rights.” He was a passionate advocate for the rights of individuals: the right to maintain oversight of government agencies, the freedom of expression, the freedom of religion, the right to enjoy private property, the freedom to bear arms, and the rights of the accused. He is perhaps best known for his colorful and frequent dissents. In 2009 he wrote more than twice as many dissenting opinions as any other justice. He is again the leading dissenter in 2010.
As readers know, Charlie Wiggins is running against Justice Richard Sanders for Position 6 on the Supreme Court. Wiggins briefly served as a judge on the Court of Appeals. In that capacity he authored 17 majority opinions. Below is a summary of each of his opinions..jpg)
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff earned a BA in business administration from the University of Washington, followed by a JD from the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He entered private practice in 1977 and continued to practice until 1996, when he was elected to the Pierce County Superior Court. He was elected Presiding Judge of that court in 2009.
Stan Rumbaugh earned a BA from Wittenberg University in Ohio and his JD from the University of Puget Sound Law School. He has been in private practice since 1979. During that time he has served as a board member of Planned Parenthood Washington and the World Affairs Council, and he is currently on the board of trustees for Bates Technical College and on the board of commissioners for the Tacoma Housing Authority.
Justice Jim Johnson earned a BA in economics from Harvard University and a JD from the University of Washington. After school he spent 2 years in the U.S. Army, and then became an Assistant Attorney General for Washington. During twenty years at the Attorney General’s office he headed the Fish and Wildlife Division, the Special Litigation Division, and served as Counsel for the Environment. In 1993 Johnson entered private practice, and continued to practice until he was elected to the Supreme Court in 2004.
Brad Shannon at the Olympian has .png)
One of the unique features of Washington's 2010 judicial elections will be the role of social media in helping candidates get out their message. Three state Supreme Court justices are up for reelection – Madsen, Sanders, and Jim Johnson – and already candidates are employing social media in ways never before used in Washington Supreme Court elections. Justice Jim Johnson announced his reelection bid on his 
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen filed her 
Justice Jim Johnson announced his plan to seek a second term on the Supreme Court. Check out his campaign Facebook page 
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