Washington Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of three Washington State Supreme Court justices will expire on January 10, 2027. The three seats are up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2026. The primary is August 4, 2026. The filing deadline is May 8, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for nonpartisan election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Justices may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
■ Raquel Montoya-Lewis
■ Charles W. Johnson
■ Debra Stephens
Candidates and results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
District 3
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 4
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 7
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Washington State Supreme Court Position 7
Incumbent Debra Stephens is running in the general election for Washington State Supreme Court Position 7 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Debra Stephens (Nonpartisan) | |
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Voting information
- See also: Voting in Washington
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the Washington State Supreme Court
- See also: Washington State Supreme Court
The Washington State Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Washington. It is based in Olympia in the Temple of Justice on the state capitol grounds. The court has nine justices. They are elected to six-year terms in nonpartisan elections.
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Mary Yu | Appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee (D) in 2014 | |
| ■ Sal Mungia | Elected in 2024 | |
| ■ Raquel Montoya-Lewis | Appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee (D) in 2019 | |
| ■ Charles W. Johnson | Elected in 1990 | |
| ■ Barbara Madsen | Elected in 1992 | |
| ■ G. Helen Whitener | Appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee (D) in 2020 | |
| ■ Debra Stephens | Appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) in 2007 | |
| ■ Steven Gonzalez | Appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) in 2011 | |
| ■ Sheryl McCloud | Elected in 2012 |
Selection
The nine justices of the supreme court are selected through contested nonpartisan elections and must run for re-election when their terms expire. Supreme court judges serve for six years.[1]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
- admitted to practice law in Washington; and
- under the age of 75.[2]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court is selected through a peer vote and has a set term of four years.[3]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until the next general election, at which point he or she may run to serve for the remainder of the predecessor's term.[4] If the resignation and subsequent appointment takes place after the filing period opens for that year's elections, the appointee must stand in the next year's election to remain on the bench.[5]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, Methods of Judicial Selection: Washington," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, Methods of Judicial Selection: Washington," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, Methods of Judicial Selection: Washington," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Washington State Constitution," accessed April 16, 2025 (Scroll to Article IV, Section 3)
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, Methods of Judicial Selection: Washington," accessed April 16, 2025
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington
State courts:
Washington Supreme Court • Washington Court of Appeals • Washington Superior Court • Washington District Courts • Washington Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Washington • Washington judicial elections • Judicial selection in Washington
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