Two races decided, one to go. As of 10:19 p.m.:
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen (unopposed) and Justice Jim Johnson (running against Stan Rumbaugh) have won their races and will advance to the general election without an opponent.
Meanwhile, Justice Richard Sanders and Charlie Wiggins are both under the 50 percent vote threshold required to advance unopposed, with Sanders enjoying an 8-point lead. Judge Bryan Chushcoff trails with only 12 percent of the vote.
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.
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More newspaper endorsements were released this morning. The Columbian endorses both Supreme Court incumbents Justice Jim Johnson and Justice Richard Sanders over their opponents.
Johnson has been a consistent protector of open government in his six years on the court and has earned the people’s confidence by defending our state’s superb primary system. He has a big advantage in experience; Rumbaugh has never served as a judge and is too closely tied to labor unions.
Sanders is another incumbent who has earned re-election, despite his maverick tendencies. He has both angered and drawn endorsements from Republicans and Democrats, proving his independence. He has served on the court since 1995. Controversial but brilliant and articulate, Sanders’ disregard for partisan influences, and his fierce defense of individual rights makes him a good fit for the court.
The Spokesman-Review also endorses Sanders. "We don’t always agree with him, but we know he is taking a principled stand."
Meanwhile, the Herald endorsed Johnson, but wants to see Sanders and challenger Charlie Wiggins advance to the general election for a more detailed debate.
We'd like to see the libertarian Sanders, a controversial but valuable member of the court, engage in a spirited contest with his strongest challenger, who we believe to be Bainbridge Island attorney Charlie Wiggins. An enlightening debate could ensue, spotlighting issues such as the rights of crime victims vs. the rights of the accused.
Justice Jim Johnson earned another newspaper editorial over his opponent Stan Rumbaugh - the Spokesman-Review says he deserves another six years on the Supreme Court.
Before he was on the court, Johnson was a skilled lawyer, highly visible, helping to write initiatives and battling for them in court. He was an ally of anti-tax crusader Tim Eyman and the Washington State Grange. Now as then, his reading of the constitutions reveals strong recognition of private property rights, open government and the First Amendment.
We never expect to agree with every opinion handed down by any Supreme Court justice, but we appreciate the guidance such decisions provide for elected legislators whose proper job it is to enact laws that can survive judicial inspection.
In his six years on the job, Johnson has won the trust of fellow justices Tom Chambers, Susan Owens, Charles Johnson and Gerry Alexander – all now endorsing him from their positions to his political left. Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and Democratic state Auditor Brian Sontag, both strong defenders of the state’s open public records law, have endorsed him, too.
Johnson has also been endorsed by The News Tribune.
With candidate filing week over, we now have a complete picture of this year’s races for seats on the Supreme Court of Washington.
Running for Position 1 are Justice Jim Johnson and challenger Stan Rumbaugh. Chief Justice Barbara Madsen is running unchallenged for Position 5. We previously reported that Justice Richard Sanders and Charlie Wiggins are running for Position 6, and another candidate has jumped into this race: Pierce County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff.
Because judicial offices are nonpartisan, the August 19 primary is a key date for judicial elections. If any candidate receives 50 percent of the primary vote, that candidate advances unchallenged to the general election.
Here at the Supreme Court of Washington Blog we will be reporting on each of these contested judicial races. Voting for judges is often difficult as candidates refrain from taking positions on specific public policy issues. The Supreme Court of Washington Blog will not endorse any candidate; our goal is to provide information about each candidate’s background, qualifications, and previous rulings (if available).
Just click on the “Judicial Elections” category to the left to read each article we’ve written about the various judicial races. You can also sort articles by individual candidate using the tags below.
Pierce County trial attorney Stan Rumbaugh has announced he will challenge Justice Jim Johnson, who is running for reelection. The Bellingham Herald has the story here. State Representative Brendan Williams was also reported to be interested in the position but has yet to file candidate papers.
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