Five Washington Supreme Court seats up for election with major decisions on the line

Five seats on Washington's nine-member Supreme Court are up for election, an unusually large number that could change the direction of the state's highest court. With major questions around taxes, crime, and education, one policy expert says these races could have consequences that are far beyond Election Day. Fox 13's Alejandra Guzman has the story. Five seats, that's much of the court. But for Washington voters, this is a rare opportunity to reshape the state's highest court. The court has become more activist in recent years, and so is making decisions that are much more impactful toward people's daily lives. Ten candidates are vying for a seat. This November, Washington voters aren't just choosing judges. They're helping decide who interprets the state's constitution and whether some of the biggest decisions made by lawmakers can stand. In position one, Justice Colleen Melody, appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson, leads with 52.9% against Scott Edwards. For position three, things are tight between Judge Jamie Michelle Hawk and Judge David Stevens, who has a 1.29% lead. Position five, Justice Theo Andrelis is 3.67% over Judge Dave Larson. Chief Justice Deborah Stevens taking over the reins over Todd Bloom with 54.37% of the votes for position seven. And Judge Ian Burke and Sean O'Donnell, who are running for the open seat for position four, who automatically advanced to the general election after Justice Charles Johnson retired. The competition is unusual, as Supreme Court races have often drawn little to no attention. Some have even gone uncontested. I think all ten of them in the five races are qualified. All of them have good experience, good knowledge. They would do a technically good job on the court. The difference between them is how they use those skills to interpret the Constitution. Myers points out that debate has already played out in voter-approved initiatives like Initiative 2066. Voters approved natural gas by 51.7%, but justices went against the will of voters. The will of the voters should be honored, and the court has gotten a reputation for overturning the will of the voters too easily on too many technicalities. One reason these seats matter, Washington's new 9.9% income tax on annual income above $1 million, a law expected to face a constitutional challenge. Justices elected this year could help decide if the tax survives. But candidates can't promise voters how they'd rule. These races are nonpartisan, but most current justices were appointed by Washington's governors. Meyer says that's helped shape the court he sees as politically divided. The voters have an opportunity to say, okay, we'd either like that very partisan court, or we want something a little more balanced. The stakes go beyond taxes. The court also weighs in on several issues, including criminal convictions like Blake's decision on drug possession, to the state's critical shortage of public defenders, and whether lawmakers are meeting Washington's paramount duty to fully fund public schools. Fundamentally, what voters are deciding is, do they want judges who are more activist in the way that they apply their views on the Constitution, or do they want judges who are more deferential to the people of the state of Washington in the legislature? Meyer says voters don't need a law degree to make an informed choice, but you should look beyond the endorsements and spend time reviewing candidates' experience and judicial philosophies. Alejandra Guzman, FOX 13 News.