WA Supreme Court races shape up as income tax case looms
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 12, 2026
State Supreme Court races often pass by without much attention as incumbent justices sail to reelection.
It’ll be different this year, as retirements promise to shake up the high court. Five seats are on the ballot.
And the fate of the Democratic-backed income tax on millionaire earners is expected to rest in the justices’ hands.
The primary is set for Aug. 4 and the general election for Nov. 3.
Justices Colleen Melody and Theo Angelis, both appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, will face multiple challenges to retain their seats. Melody replaced Justice Mary Yu, while Angelis took over for Justice Barbara Madsen.
Angelis, a Seattle litigator, will face Dave Larson, a conservative who narrowly lost a campaign for the high court in 2024. Larson, a retired Federal Way Municipal Court judge, said he was inspired to run by watching the direction of the Supreme Court in recent years and disagreeing with it.
Sharonda Amamilo, a family and juvenile court judge in Thurston County, is also running for Angelis’ spot. Amamilo serves on the Department of Children, Youth and Families oversight board. Greg Miller has filed to run for this position, as well.
Melody, formerly the head of the civil rights division at the state attorney general’s office, will face Scott Edwards, a partner at a Seattle law firm, and Laura Christensen Colberg, a family law attorney from Kenmore.
Edwards has taught classes on state and local taxes at the University of Washington law school, writing on his campaign website that he is “running to bring that same rigor and analytical approach” to the Supreme Court.
Anne Bremner, best known as Amanda Knox’s legal counsel, had filed to run but withdrew her candidacy Monday. Bremner, a former deputy prosecutor, gained prominence after representing Knox in her Italian murder trial.
There are also two open seats, with the departures of Charles Johnson and Raquel Montoya-Lewis.
State appeals court Judge Mike Diaz, King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk and Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens are vying for Montoya-Lewis’ spot.
Hawk boasts endorsements from Ferguson, Yu and current Justice G. Helen Whitener. Diaz has support from Montoya-Lewis, Attorney General Nick Brown and former Govs. Jay Inslee, Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke.
Stevens, a former prosecutor, has the backing of the state GOP, and has expressed concern that gubernatorial appointments dominating the court could lead to “ideological rulings and judicial overreach.”
Just two candidates are looking to replace Johnson, with appeals court Judge Ian Birk and King County Superior Court Judge Sean O’Donnell having filed.
The race is already expensive, with Birk raising $200,000 to O’Donnell’s $162,000, per campaign finance filings. Both automatically advance to the general election in November.
Chief Justice Debra Stephens has also drawn three opponents: Todd Bloom, who ran for justice in 2024; King County defense attorney Karim Merchant; and attorney David Shelvey. Bloom has also mounted failed runs for Congress as a Republican.
