Voters appeared content with the status quo on Tuesday, after the initial results had three incumbents and one aligned candidate leading in four of the five Washington Supreme Court races.
Ballotpedia ranked Washington's Supreme Court as the fifth most liberal nationwide in 2012, based on analysis by researchers at Stanford University. Another report examining campaign contributions from 2013 to 2022 found that the vast majority of funding for winning candidates came from progressives.
The nine justices are supposed to be nonpartisan. Judicial rules also prohibit candidates from speaking on issues likely to reach the bench. That includes the new state 9.9% income tax on annual household earnings over $1 million, and the ongoing lawsuit to repeal it, which is expected to reach the justices.
An initiative to repeal the new income tax appeared to fail on Tuesday night, with about 58.12% of voters rejecting it in Tuesday’s initial results. Voters have rejected income taxes 10 times, and the high court has done so five times since 1933, but Democrats want to “force” the bench to topple that precedent.
Position 1
Tuesday’s initial results saw incumbent Justice Colleen Melody leading with 1,108,412 votes, 59.97% of the initial results, over Seattle-based tax attorney Scott Edwards with 734,783 votes, or 39.75% of the vote.
Melody joined the court this year after Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed her to replace Justice Mary Yu, following years of working for Ferguson at the AGO as chief of the Civil Rights Division that he created.
Edwards brings nearly 30 years of experience representing clients on state and local matters and is listed as a partner at Ballard Spahr’s Seattle office.
Melody previously donated to Ferguson’s campaign, to individuals within the AGO, which would defend the new income tax in court, and to Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, who succeeded Ferguson in that position in 2025.
She had no prior judicial experience before Ferguson, her former boss, tagged her to join the bench.
As of Tuesday night, Melody’s campaign had raised $285,596, spent $114,673, with another $157,394 in independent expenditures, meaning no coordination with the campaign, in support of her candidacy.
Edwards raised $197,434 by Tuesday night, spent $184,833, and had about $206,589 in independent expenditures supporting his candidacy and $97,771 opposing him. He took second in the primary with 513,394 votes, or 29.39% of the vote, while Melody scored 923,965 votes, or 52.90%.
“Traveling across the state of Washington to hear directly from people about their needs, experiences, and challenges with our legal system has always been the foundation of my legal work,” Melody wrote in a statement on Tuesday night.
“Getting the chance to continue that while serving Washingtonians on the Supreme Court and over the course of this campaign has redoubled my belief that we must do more to protect our fundamental rights and ensure the legal system truly works for everyone.”
The Center Square could not reach Edwards for comment after the polls closed Tuesday night.
Position 3
Tuesday’s initial results showed King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk leading Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens for the seat held by outgoing Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis. Hawk led with 1,062,783 votes, 57.73% of the initial result, while Stevens trailed with 772,045 votes, or 41.94%.
“Tonight’s results are encouraging, and we’re optimistic about the outcome as later votes are counted,” Hawk wrote in a statement to The Center Square. I’m grateful for the diverse coalition that supported our campaign: More than one hundred community, tribal, and labor organizations; judges, justices, and legal leaders across the state; and hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians.”
“If these results hold, my commitment on the Supreme Court will be to serve Washingtonians of all backgrounds, uphold the law, expand access to justice, and approach every case with fairness, independence, and integrity,” Hawk continued.
Stevens won the primary by a narrow margin, eliminating Mike Diaz, a state court of appeals judge.
He finished the primary with 612,267 votes, with Hawk at 578,979 and Diaz at 543,721. The appellate judge did not endorse Hawk, who is the progressive choice compared to Stevens, ahead of the election.
Hawk has served on the King County Superior Court since 2022, after previously working as a state and federal public defender and a civil rights attorney for the ACLU of Washington. She has built broad Democratic and progressive support, with endorsements from several lawmakers and labor unions.
Stevens has served on the Mason County Superior Court since 2023, after serving in the U.S. Navy and as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and public defender, including overseas. He has support from Republican officials and conservative groups and describes himself as a textualist and originalist.
“Happy that I ran. Think I got the issues out there; everybody started talking about them,” Stevens told The Center Square when reached by phone after the results came in.
As of Tuesday night, Hawk reported $374,155 in campaign funding, spent $340,543 and received $89,623 in independent expenditures supporting her candidacy without coordination. Stevens brought in $94,881, spent $73,095, and received $209,988 in independent expenditures, including $97,771 opposing him.
Position 4
In the initial results, King County Superior Court Judge Sean O’Donnell led Division I Court of Appeals Judge Ian Birk to replace retiring Justice Charles Johnson. O’Donnell had 926,884 votes, 50.92% of the initial results, by the end of the night, while Birk had 886,636 votes, or 48.71%.
“The initial election night results are now in, but it’s important that we are patient and every vote is counted,” O’Donnell wrote in a statement. “Tonight, I just want to say thank you to the hundreds of judicial colleagues and elected officials from across the political divide, as well as the hundreds of thousands of voters, who stepped up to offer their support for this campaign because they believe what matters most is an experienced and impartial judiciary committed to upholding the rule of law.”
Birk has served on Division I since 2022 and has 20 years of civil litigation experience, most recently as a partner at Keller Rohrback. His campaign says much of that work was against “powerful corporate interests,” with Birk specializing in insurance, consumer protection and workplace discrimination cases.
Like Melody and Hawk, Birk comes with broad Democratic support, including endorsements from state lawmakers, Ferguson, Brown, Planned Parenthood and more. Yet, Birk accused his opponent of having a partisan agenda after the Washington State Republican Party recommended O’Donnell as their pick.
O'Donnell has served on the King County Superior Court since 2013, after serving as a senior deputy prosecutor on the infamous Green River killer case. He has broad bipartisan support from former Gov. Chris Gregoire and Gary Locke, both Democrats, WAGOP and farm and law enforcement groups.
As of Tuesday night, Birk reported $625,335 in campaign contributions and $591,893 in spending, with $548,100 in independent support and $17,093 opposing him. O’Donnell reported $572,857 in contributions, spent $496,450, with $659,719 in independent expenditures supporting him and $149,935 opposing him.
Position 4 skipped the primary because Birk and O’Donnell were the only ones who filed candidacy.
The Center Square was unable to reach Birk for comment on Tuesday after the initial results were released.
Position 5
The initial results showed incumbent Justice Theo Angelis ahead of former Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson after Ferguson appointed Angelis to replace Justice Barbara Madsen this year. He led with 1,015,685 votes, 55.42% of the initial results, while Larson trailed with 811,503 votes, or 44.28%.
“I'm so grateful for the support we've received from voters across Washington who are placing their trust in me and in the importance of a fair, independent judiciary,” Angelis wrote in a statement to The Center Square after the results came in. “There are still ballots to be counted, and we'll be watching the results closely in the coming days to ensure every vote is counted and every voice is heard.”
Angelis worked for 26 years at K&L Gates, including stints with Ferguson and income tax sponsor Sen. Jamie Pedersen when they both worked at the firm. Angelis called Pedersen a mentor in an interview with The Center Square, arguing that the relationships wouldn’t impact a potential ruling on the tax.
He comes with experience in appellate and intellectual-property litigation, but had never served as a judge before Ferguson appointed him to the Supreme Court. Angelis has broad Democratic and labor union support like the other leaders, including groups fighting against efforts to repeal the income tax.
Angelis has donated to Ferguson’s campaigns dating back to 2006, including elections in 2009, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, and contributed $2,000 to Ferguson’s 2028 reelection bid last year. He has also donated to Pedersen's Senate campaigns, including Pedersen’s 2026 reelection bid in October 2025.
Larson served as a judge in Federal Way from 2008 to 2025 after 23 years as a trial lawyer. He argues that the appointment process allows justices to retire early so the governor can pick a successor. That framework has led gubernatorial appointees to outperform their challengers on the ballot in the past.
As of Tuesday night, Angelis reported $488,078 in campaign contributions and $459,195 in spending, with $155,394 in independent support and no independent opposition. Larson reported $478,989 in funding, spent $379,808, with another $288,180 in independent support and $97,771 in expenditures opposing him.
Angelis won in August with 623,396 votes, with Larson at 559,629, eliminating two other candidates.
“It's just very disheartening that you put your heart and soul into it, knowing that you can be a benefit to the people of the state, and to have this kind of infusion of money,” Larson told The Center Square on Tuesday night, referring to significant donations to several candidates leading up to the election.
“I'm not conceding anything,” he said. “There's still a lot of votes to count, but it doesn't look favorable.”
Position 7
Tuesday’s initial results showed incumbent Chief Justice Debra Stephens ahead of Tacoma tax attorney Todd Bloom as she seeks another term that would push her tenure beyond two decades. Stephens had 1,168,374 votes, 63.75% of the initial results, while Bloom had 658,899, or 35.95%.
“I am deeply grateful for the support of Washington voters,” Stephens wrote in a statement to The Center Square on Tuesday. “Even though there are still ballots left to be counted, we are confident with the initial returns and look forward to each and every Washingtonian's vote being counted.”
She has served on the bench since 2008, when she was first appointed after serving as an appellate judge, private attorney and adjunct professor at Gonzaga University. She has wide Democratic backing from Ferguson, Pedersen and others, and authored the opinion upholding the state’s capital gains tax.
Bloom, a retired Navy officer, CPA and financial planner, currently serves on the Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governors. He has no judicial experience, but emphasizes constitutional fidelity.
In a July interview with The Center Square, Bloom argued against Stephens' decision, which treated the capital gains tax as an excise tax rather than an income tax, and has broad Republican support.
As of Tuesday night, Stephens reported $162,357 in campaign contributions, spent $113,615, with $155,287 in independent support and no independent expenditures opposing her. Bloom reported $42,564 in contributions, spent $22,255, with $66,998 in independent support and $81,771 opposing him.
Stephens won the August primary with 938,584 votes, 54.37% of the turnout, with Bloom in second at 468,347 votes, 27.13%, knocking out two other candidates.
“It's not looking good at this point,” Bloom told The Center Square on Tuesday night. “There’s a lot of votes still to post in here, but I look forward to continuing my work with our elected officials.”
