League of Women Voters posts interviews with Washington Supreme Court candidates

OLYMPIA — The League of Women Voters of Washington has released online interviews with all 10 candidates running for five seats on the Washington Supreme Court in the Nov. 3 election.

The feature, “Washington Supreme Court Candidate Interviews: Four Questions,” consists of individually conducted interviews of about six minutes each. The interviews are available at https://lwvwa.org/Supreme-Court-Candidates

The League said the interviews are intended to provide voters with information about the candidates’ backgrounds, judicial philosophies and approaches to decision-making.

“At our core, the League is about educating voters,” League President Karen Crowley said. “With five of the nine seats being contested, we believe it is vitally important for voters to be informed.”

All 10 candidates agreed to participate, according to the League. The candidates were each asked the same four questions, and their responses were not edited.

“We think the League’s reputation for nonpartisanship for 106 years now is among the reasons all 10 candidates agreed to be interviewed,” Executive Director Amy Peloff said. “Candidates know the League will provide a free and fair foundation for each of them to make their views known.”

Candidates were asked about the benefits of having or not having prior judicial experience before running for the state Supreme Court and how they would approach a case involving an area of law in which they had no previous knowledge or experience.

They were also asked when it is appropriate for the judiciary to overturn a statute or voter-approved referendum and to identify a past or present judge or justice they most admire and explain why.

Crowley said the court could consider cases involving issues including a proposed tax on high-income earners, parental rights and participation by girls and young women in school sports.

“The decisions the justices make could have major ramifications for many Washingtonians. That’s one of the reasons we’ve made this readily accessible feature available,” Crowley said.

The League also reminded voters that ballots must be returned by Nov. 3. Ballots placed in official Washington ballot drop boxes must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3. The League advises voters mailing ballots after Oct. 26 to take them to a postal clerk and request a hand-applied postmark to help ensure they receive a timely postmark.