This week on Inland Journal, hear from the candidates running for seats on Washington's Supreme Court. Five of the nine Supreme Court seats are in play this fall. The ideological balance of the court could conceivably change.
Today we hear from the 10 candidates running for five Washington Supreme Court seats. They include three incumbents, including two who are appointed to the bench this year.
We’ll hear short presentations from each of the candidates from TVW’s Video Voter Guide series, presented here with permission. The candidates have up to three minutes to tell you about themselves and what they believe.
We start with the race for Position 1. The incumbent is Colleen Melody. She was appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson and joined the court at the beginning of 2026.
Colleen Melody: My name is Colleen Melody and I am one of the justices serving you on the Washington State Supreme Court. I am running to retain my seat so that I may continue working to uphold the rule of law, improve access to justice, and protect the rights of everyone in Washington.
I grew up in Spokane. My father was a teacher and my mom was a nurse and patient advocate. They taught me to work hard, to give back, and to help others. And now I live in rural western Washington with my husband, who is a carpenter, and my two daughters, who are in elementary school.
I became a lawyer after an excellent public education, including undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Washington. And then I became a civil rights lawyer, where I spent my entire career working in the public interest.
I have never worked for a client who paid me. I have never sent a bill to a person whose civil rights I worked to protect. I've only ever worked as a government lawyer with the goal of protecting the civil and constitutional rights of my neighbors. For many years, I was the head of the Civil Rights Division in the Attorney General's Office here in Washington State. There, I stood up for everyday people across our state, protecting the rights of Washingtonians when they were violated by multinational corporations, special interests, and the federal government. I returned millions in wages to workers and protected employees from pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment. I held the government, the federal government, accountable to the rule of law, fighting the Trump administration's unconstitutional Muslim ban and family separation policy, and blocking the administration from canceling the DACA program that protects thousands of dreamers in Washington for whom our state is home. Now more than ever, state courts must safeguard our rights with independence and impartiality.
Washington's laws provide broad protections in areas like privacy, in the workplace, housing, health care, and education.
State courts must be places where victims of crime and discrimination may seek justice with safety and dignity. I'm proud to be endorsed by every sitting Supreme Court Justice, retired Justices Mary Yu and Barbara Madsen, Governors Bob Ferguson, Jay Inslee, and Chris Gregoire, Attorney General Nick Brown, hundreds of judges and elected leaders statewide, labor unions, and many more. Your rights matter. I have worked my entire career to protect them. I would be honored to have your vote. Support.
Colleen Melody is challenged by Scott Edwards.
Scott Edwards: Hello, my name is Scott Edwards and I'm running for the Washington State Supreme Court because I believe that our highest court must be a place where the law is applied fairly and thoughtfully, as written and in accordance with the Constitution, without political posturing. The court must serve as a fair and balanced check to government while protecting our constitutional rights and providing equal justice.
From my first job at age 14, working at my grandparents' restaurant, to chairing a legal practice at a major Pacific Northwest law firm, I know the value of hard work.
I've been practicing law in this state for more than 30 years, representing individuals and businesses, large and small, helping them to understand and pay the taxes they owe, while also helping to make sure that the government applies the law, as written, fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the Constitution.
Throughout my legal career, I've had the privilege of seeing the justice system from multiple perspectives, providing advice, helping to form businesses, and in the courtroom, including more than a dozen Washington Supreme Court cases. I have worked on complex legal matters, studied the law carefully, and built a reputation for preparation, professionalism, and integrity.
In addition to my legal practice, I've also been teaching at the University of Washington School of Law for more than 20 years, where I helped to educate the next generation of lawyers.
In the courtroom and in the classroom, I have always approached the law with rigorous reason, common sense, and integrity. I will bring that same approach to the Supreme Court. I've spent years solving difficult problems, weighing competing arguments, and understanding that good decisions require patience, discipline, and respect for the facts. That experience matters.
The role of a Supreme Court judge is to interpret the law faithfully, protect constitutional principles, and treat every person who comes before the court with fairness and respect. My commitment is to protect your constitutional rights, ensure equal justice, and maintain a court that is accountable to voters, one that is worthy of the public trust. You can learn more about me at votescottedwards.com. Thank you.
Scott Edwards and Colleen Melody are running for Washington Supreme Court Position 1.
Position 3 has no returning incumbent. King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk is one of the candidates.
Jaime Hawk: I am Judge Jaime Hawk and I'm running for the Washington Supreme Court.
Our courts and the rule of law are under attack. As a Supreme Court justice, I will protect our rights, our freedoms, and the rule of law, as I have throughout my career.
You deserve a justice with the experience this moment demands. I've served as a public defender, civil rights attorney, law professor, and trial judge, with courtroom experience on both sides of the Cascades. I began my career representing youth in central Washington, then defended individuals against the full power of the federal government as a federal defender in eastern Washington. Later, with the ACLU of Washington, I worked across the state to protect civil liberties, expand voting rights, and improve access to justice.
I know what it looks like when the law fails people and communities, and what it takes to fix it. For more than 20 years, I fought to ensure people are represented, heard, and respected in our legal system. As a King County Superior Court judge, I work every day to ensure people are treated with fairness, dignity, and equal treatment under the law, regardless of their financial means.
That belief is personal to me. I was raised by a single mom, attended public schools, and was the first person in my immediate family to attend college. My mom worked hard and lived paycheck to paycheck. I started working when I turned 14. Those experiences shaped my understanding of the challenges working families face and why equal justice matters.
From a young age, I knew I wanted to become a lawyer for people who could not afford one, to stand up for those whose voices too often go unheard. To achieve that dream, I earned a full tuition scholarship for law school at Gonzaga University, where I graduated with honors.
My career has been dedicated to public service and protecting constitutional rights. I was the first attorney from the ACLU of Washington appointed to the bench when Governor Inslee appointed me to the court.
As a judge, I've presided over hundreds of criminal, civil, and family law cases with fairness and independence. I also work to improve our courts through the Washington Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission.
Public trust in our courts is earned through fairness and judicial independence, and I understand that decisions made by our Supreme Court profoundly affect people in every corner of our state, and I will take this work seriously and work hard on your behalf.
I'm endorsed by over two dozen state elected officials, including Governor Bob Ferguson, and more than a hundred current and retired justices and judges across the state. I am Judge Jaime Hawk, and I ask for your vote.
Jaime Hawk’s opponent is former Spokane County deputy prosecutor David Stevens.
David Stevens: I'm Judge David Stevens. I'm a Mason County Superior Court judge. I'm running for Washington State Supreme Court, position three.
The reason I'm running is I'm concerned about the lack of diversity on the Supreme Court. A tradition has arisen in Washington State where the governor has been appointing the majority of judges, both to the Superior Courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Washington State Supreme Court. By the governor appointing, this has led to a lack of diversity, and it's led to ideological and political decisions, in my opinion.
When they passed the Washington State Constitution in 1889, they specifically wanted judges elected, and the reason they did that was when we were a territorial government, the governor would appoint the judges, and people felt that there was favoritism, that he would appoint judges that would agree with him. So they specifically put in the Washington State Constitution the judges would be elected, but a tradition has arisen.
What's happened is when a vacancy occurs, the governor appoints. When the person gets near the end of the term, they resign, and the governor appoints again. And like I said, this has come to the point where the vast majority, I've heard numbers from 80 to 85 percent of all Superior, Washington State Court of Appeals judges, and Washington State Supreme Court judges have been appointed by the governor.
We need to have more breadth. We need to have more diversity on the Washington State Supreme Court.
I joined the Navy after high school. I used my educational benefits to go to the University of Washington, and after that, I worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Enforcement Center in Seattle, fighting housing discrimination. I then went to the University of Washington School of Law. After that, I worked as a prosecutor for many years, and then worked as a public defender.
Now I'm a Superior Court judge. I have the experience in the courtroom. The vast majority of the 26 years I've been an attorney, I have been in the courtroom. I know what the real world effects of the decisions the Washington State Supreme Court makes, how they will affect the citizens, and how they affect the courts. And I ask for you to consider and go to my website, www.judgestephens4wa.com, if you want more information about my campaign. Thank you.
Next are the candidates for the court’s Position 4, beginning with Ian Birk.
Ian Birk: In 2026, we Washingtonians will have five Supreme Court positions on our ballot in November, and with the rule of law under attack in our country, it's going to matter who we elect.
My name is Ian Birk. I am one of your state appellate judges, and I would be honored to earn your vote for Supreme Court.
I have been endorsed for Supreme Court by the Washington Education Association, by the aerospace machinists IAM 751, by former Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Nick Brown, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, and elected officials and more than 100 judges from across Washington, including Justice Mary Yu, Justice Steven Gonzalez, Justice Sal Mungia, and 31 current and former appellate judges, together elected from all 39 counties in Washington.
To get in touch with me, or for more information, please look at my campaign website, www.ianbirk.com. I'm a fifth generation Washingtonian.
I was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Jay Inslee in 2022, where I've decided hundreds of cases involving families, workers, small businesses, and communities across our state. I have written more than 200 appellate opinions.
Before that, I was a lawyer for 20 years, representing individuals and small businesses taking on more powerful interests in insurance denials, workplace discrimination, and consumer protection cases.
I served as a volunteer lawyer, working with clients who could not afford legal counsel, facing consumer debt and housing insecurity. And before that, I started my career as a law clerk at our state's Supreme Court.
I am the exclusive product of Washington public schools. I went to the University of Washington for college and law. I could not have the incredible honor of being one of your appellate judges today without this state's investment in public education. And all of that has shaped how I see the law. It has to be accessible and it has to work for everyone.
I am running to ensure that we have the best Washington Supreme Court we have, we can have. To ensure that it will uphold integrity, fairness, accountability, and equal access to justice.
Judges must decide cases based on law and fact, never politics or pressure. And I would be honored to earn your support and your vote. Thank you.
Ian Birk’s opponent is Sean O’Donnell.
Sean O’Donnell: Hi, I'm Sean O'Donnell and I'm running for position 4 on the Washington State Supreme Court.
I've been in public service for 25 years as a superior court judge, a senior deputy prosecutor with King County, and even as a pro tem justice on the Washington State Supreme Court. As a trial judge, I've made thousands of decisions and those decisions have protected our civil rights, removed firearms from domestic abusers, and helped center crime victims' voices in our justice system.
Today, more than ever, we need experienced, thoughtful, and impartial judges on the state's Supreme Court.
I began my legal career as a lawyer on the Green River Task Force and helped bring a serial killer to justice.
As chief judge for King County's Family Law Court, I helped create a protection order court that has resulted in hundreds of firearms being taken away from people who are legally prohibited from having them.
We live in unprecedented times for our democracy. As a justice, I promise to protect our civil rights, uphold our constitution, and surrender no ground on our hard-fought liberties.
I'm proud to be endorsed by former Governor Christine Gregoire, U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland, U.S. Representative Adam Smith, Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth, a majority of the King County Council, the mayors of Spokane, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Redmond, Marysville, Mukilteo, Federal Way, county executives, Justice Helen Whitener, public safety officials, the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, and over 210 trial and appellate court judges across our state.
Please visit my website at odonnellforjustice.com. I would be honored to have your vote this November.
Position 5 features Theo Angelis, who was appointed to the court this year by Governor Ferguson.
Theo Angelis: I'm Justice Theo Angelis and I'm honored to serve you on the state Supreme Court.
As a justice, and throughout my career, I have fought to uphold the rule of law, protect individual rights, and make our courts fair, independent, and accessible to everyone. I've taken on powerful interests and difficult cases because I believe justice should work for all people. I successfully sued ICE, protected children from online exploitation, and helped tribes, cities, and counties resolve long-standing conflicts.
Over the course of my career, I have litigated countless complex and cutting-edge cases, including more than 100 in Washington state courts. I have also led award-winning litigation teams that fought to secure legal representation for young children, to protect refugee children, and to support veterans and veterans organizations.
Beyond the courtroom, I edited a leading treatise on Washington law, I raised money for and volunteered in legal clinics serving people in need, and I mentored lawyers and students to help build a stronger, more diverse legal profession for the future. I have supervised more than 200 lawyers and earned national recognition for my litigation work.
But what matters most to me is using my experience in service to the people of Washington. On the Supreme Court, I bring the same dedication, integrity, and passion to serving you every day.
I'm honored to have the support of all the current Washington Supreme Court justices, more than 500 judges and attorneys statewide, Governors Bob Ferguson and Christine Gregoire, over 50 Washington legislators, as well as mayors and county leaders across our state, democratic organizations, labor, and many more.
I respectfully ask for your support as I seek to retain my seat as Washington Supreme Court Justice.
Theo Angelis is challenged by a former superior court judge.
Dave Larson: Hi, I'm Judge Dave Larson. I'm running for position five on the Washington State Supreme Court.
With 18 years as a highly rated trial judge and 23 years as a top-rated trial lawyer, my 41 years of experience make me the best prepared, best qualified, and most experienced candidate for this office.
I came out of a brief retirement due to a sense of duty because our state and nation are divided.
We have been so interested in getting our way that we have lost our way. The political storm we face in our courts is caused by the desire of some to use the power and control of the courts to rule us instead of embracing the duty and responsibility to represent us. I can be the calm in that storm because I worked successfully in our trial courts and with both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature to improve our courts.
I've dedicated my time for years to civics education for youth and adults and I've been recognized with awards for those efforts. I'll use those skills to help restore trust and confidence in all three branches of government, not just the judiciary. I want to make our Supreme Court the trusted institution it's supposed to be, so that's why I'm running a politically neutral campaign based on the values that judges are sworn to uphold.
I've reached out to Democrats and Republicans, labor and business, and to citizens just like you in eastern and western Washington because everyone deserves to have trust and confidence in our Supreme Court, regardless of their political beliefs, economic status, or geographic location. One side of justice for only some of us means that there's no justice for any of us.
My work around criminal justice reform has been recognized on a national level.
I will not just occupy a seat on the Supreme Court. I will use my extensive experience to bring leadership needed to work with the legislature, local government, and trial courts on common-sense solutions to the issues we face in our communities that will reduce crime without sacrificing personal accountability.
We don't need to be tougher or softer on crime. We need to be smarter on crime. Instead of helping our communities and trial courts address crime, the current Supreme Court's decisions have undermined those efforts.
Our trial courts are an essential tool used to protect the health and welfare of our communities, and they need to be supported, not undermined. Our Supreme Court needs to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
I promise you three things as your next justice. First, I'll support and improve our trial courts to help them reduce crime in our communities.
Second, I'll uphold our state constitution because it is worthy of being upheld as written. Third, I'll uphold the principles to build trust and confidence in our courts so that our courts can become the politically neutral forum that people can trust to be fair and impartial.
When you vote for Judge Dave Larson, you'll get an experienced trial judge with 41 years of legal experience with an approach to justice that improves lives, improves our trial courts and the communities they serve, and defends your rights.
I'm Judge Dave Larson, and I'd be honored to earn your vote. Thank you.
The final Supreme Court opening is for Position 7, the seat held by the justice who current oversees the court.
Debra Stephens: Hello, I'm Debra Stephens, and I'm the chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court. It's been my honor to serve our state for the past 19 years upholding the rule of law and striving to fulfill the constitutional promise of equal justice for all.
Our courts are a critical branch of government where every person, regardless of circumstance, must be treated fairly and with dignity, and every case must be decided on the facts and the law.
In an era of growing attempts to politicize the judicial system, I work every day to safeguard the fairness and integrity of our courts.
As chief justice, I've presided over some of the state's most important legal decisions. I've also helped to make court procedures more transparent and efficient, and I've led efforts statewide to expand access to justice for underserved communities.
As a former professor of constitutional law at Gonzaga University, I understand and respect legal precedents and constitutional principles.
As a parent and former school board chair, I recognize how court decisions impact the lives of Washington families, and as the first woman from eastern Washington on our Supreme Court, I know firsthand that lived experience and diverse perspectives matter in making sound decisions.
My decades-long career in public service is built on this foundation of broad legal and personal experience.
I've always enjoyed broad public support across our state because people know that my pledge is to fair and impartial justice and not to any special interest group. I ask for your vote to continue serving you and upholding the rule of law for every person in Washington. Thank you.
Debra Stephens is challenged by Todd Bloom.
Todd Bloom: Hello, I'm Todd Bloom, candidate for the Washington State Supreme Court.
For more than 25 years in the legal profession and as a Navy veteran, I've approached the law with discipline, humility, and respect for the facts and the rule of law.
I'm a tax attorney as well as a certified public accountant and financial planner. I've worked in the big four accounting firms and directly with the clients, the small businesses, retirees, and families. Throughout my career, I've navigated complex laws and regulations, analyzed detailed financial matters, and seen firsthand how the law affects people's lives.
I've also had the privilege of serving on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors, helping set rules and develop policies that affect and guide the legal profession in our state.
For nearly 20 years, I served as a FINRA arbitrator on panels handling complex disputes, including multi-million dollar claims. I listened to opposing arguments, evaluated evidence, applied governing standards, and helped reach decisions based on the record. That work required patience, neutrality, and the discipline to separate the facts of a case from personal views or preferred outcomes. I would bring that same discipline to the Washington State Supreme Court.
My military service after 9-11 further strengthened those principles.
As a Navy officer, I held positions of responsibility that included forcing standards, conducting investigations, and carrying out duties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. I led by taking responsibility, applying standards consistently, and exercising fair and careful judgment. Those experiences defined how I approached the rule of a judge, remained steady under pressure, listened carefully, followed the law, and decided each case on its merits.
I believe deeply in our U.S. constitutional structure and the distinct role of the judiciary. Judges are not legislators. A judge's role is not to decide which policy outcome they personally prefer. It is to interpret and apply the law to the cases properly before the court. Precedent is also essential to providing stability, consistency, and predictability in our legal system. Judges must carefully consider precedent while evaluating the law, the record, and the arguments presented in each case.
At the center of my approach is a straightforward principle. Every person who comes before the court deserves to be heard, and every decision should be grounded in the law and the facts, not popularity, politics, or personal preference.
This election is an opportunity for change, to bring a different perspective, a different background, and a renewed commitment to applying the law fairly and impartially to our state's highest court.
I'm Todd Bloom, and I humbly ask for your vote.
Those are the 10 candidates for five Washington Supreme Court seats, introduced to you through the Video Voters Guide produced by TVW.
Next week on Inland Journal, we’ll stay with candidates in the legal system, focusing on the two people running for Spokane County prosecutor.
