(The Center Square) – Will the third time be the charm for Dave Larson in his quest to be elected to the Washington state Supreme Court?
That remains to be seen. Larson – a Federal Way municipal court judge backed by the Republican Party – is in a neck-and-neck battle with longtime Seattle attorney Sal Mungia, who is backed by the Democratic Party. That’s according to the latest results from the Office of the Secretary of State. As of Wednesday afternoon, Mungia maintained a slight lead, with 50.11% of the vote to Larson’s 49.4%.
Larson also ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the state’s highest court in 2016 and 2020. He also ran in 2000 but didn’t advance beyond the primary.
With no incumbent running for the officially nonpartisan Position 2 seat, this race for a six-year term on the state Supreme Court is the first time in a dozen years voters are deciding on a truly “open” seat.
The seat is currently occupied by Justice Susan Owens, whose current term ends on Jan. 12, 2025. Owens is not running for reelection, having turned 75 this year, which is the retirement age under state law.
In the event of a midterm vacancy on the high court, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until the next general election, at which point the justice may run to serve for the remainder of the predecessor’s term.
If the resignation and subsequent appointment take 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.
Mungia, an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, is endorsed by eight of the sitting Supreme Court justices – including Owens – and leads in fundraising.
According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Mungia has received some $526,000 in donations, compared to Larson’s $175,000.
Mungia’s substantial fundraising edge gives him a clear advantage over Larson in deep blue Washington state. A November 2023 study by Ballotpedia, which examined data of campaign donors and court case parties over a 10-year period, found that progressive candidates and causes dominate the Supreme Court in the Evergreen State.
More than 99% of significant contributions to the campaigns of winning candidates were from progressive sources, according to Ballotpedia’s findings. The situation was reversed on the other side of the political spectrum, with 97% of significant contributions to losing candidates coming from conservative sources.
A similar situation played out in terms of court case outcomes, with nearly three-quarters – 74% – of all court case parties and amici categorized as progressive receiving favorable decisions. Those court case parties and amici coded as conservative received favorable decisions 14% of the time.
Chief Justice Steve Gonzalez and Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud are also running for another term on the court, for the Position 8 and Position 9 seats, respectively. Both are running unopposed.
General election results will be certified on Nov. 26.
