✅2026 Judicial Primary Endorsements
Five out of the nine positions on the Washington Supreme Court are on the ballot this, an historical accident given two retirements in addition to the three scheduled positions on this year's ballot. Conservative billionaire Brian Heywood is supporting conservative-leaning judges in an effect to flip the Supreme Court. Although these races are nonpartisan, the political leanings of many candidates can be gleaned.
Some of the races have attracted three or four candidates, making the primary critical. The top two vote getters for each position in the August 4th primary will advance to the general ballot.
After considering requests from many, but not all, of the candidates running for the Supreme Court, the Walla Walla County Democratic Central Committee at its July 14th meeting endorse these candidates:
- District 1: Justice Colleen Melody
- District 3: Judge Jaime Hawk
- District 4: Judge Ian Birk
- District 5: Justice Theo Angelis
- District 7: Chief Justice Debra Stephens
Endorsements were made in only four of the five races since the fifth race only has two candidates, who will automatically advance to the General Ballot on November 3rd.
Voters are encouraged to vote in the Primary for these endorsed candidates.
- Kari Isaacson, Chair
WWCDCC
Please see below short bio’s from the candidates websites.
Justice Colleen Melody
Born and raised in Spokane County, Colleen grew up in a family of public servants. Her father was an elementary school teacher and principal, and her mother was a nurse who worked at the Department of Health. Colleen worked through college waiting tables, and then attended law school with a commitment to serving her community as a lawyer.
Colleen has dedicated her career to protecting the rights of Washingtonians. She built the Civil Rights Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office from the ground-up, turning it from a startup into a nationally recognized powerhouse that protects state residents from harassment, discrimination, and violence no matter their gender, race, age, or disability.
She has taken on Fortune 100 companies for unfair business practices and held the Federal Government accountable for violating the rights of Washingtonians. From trial courts in every corner of our state to the U.S. Supreme Court, Colleen has stood firm for the rule of law and all of our rights.
You can learn more about Justice Melody Here.
Judge Jaime Hawk
Judge Jaime Michelle Hawk has spent her career fighting for everyday Washingtonians — and her 20+ years of legal service proves it. She will protect our rights and freedoms.
The first attorney with the ACLU of Washington to become a judge in our state, Judge Hawk is the candidate in this race who has the most experience as counsel of record in appellate briefings before the Washington Supreme Court — the very court on which she seeks to serve. At the ACLU, she defended voting rights and made the justice system fairer for people living paycheck-to-paycheck.
As a public defender, she led trials and appeals on behalf of Washingtonians facing the full power of the federal government. She was in the courtroom defending those arrested by ICE and facing prosecution by DOJ attorneys.
Now a proven Superior Court judge, she brings broad, hands-on courtroom experience — presiding over hundreds of civil, criminal, and family law cases, as well as appeals from lower courts. She follows the law. She applies it fairly. She has never had a trial overturned for legal error.
Judge Hawk is also a court reformer. She currently serves on a Washington Supreme Court Commission working to eliminate bias in our courts and make them more accessible to working families — not just those who can afford access.
You can learn more about Judge Hawk Here.
Judge Ian Birk
A fifth-generation Washingtonian, Judge Birk has spent his career serving the people of this state—as a Supreme Court law clerk, a trial and appellate lawyer, a longtime pro bono volunteer, and now as an appellate judge trusted to decide complex cases from every corner of Washington.
Judge Birk serves on Division I of the Washington State Court of Appeals, where he was appointed in 2022 and elected by the voters later that year without opposition. As a Court of Appeals judge, Judge Birk has authored more than 200 opinions and participated in hundreds of additional appellate decisions across civil, criminal, family, administrative, and constitutional law. He has sat in all three divisions of the Court of Appeals—Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane—giving him statewide perspective on how the law is applied in diverse communities
He brings to the bench more than twenty years of experience as a civil litigator, appellate advocate, and Supreme Court law clerk, along with a deep commitment to fairness, independence, and equal treatment under the law
Before joining the Court of Appeals, Judge Birk spent two decades in private practice, most recently as a partner at Keller Rohrback LLP. His work focused on representing individuals, families, and small businesses—often against powerful corporate interests—in cases involving insurance claims, consumer protection, workplace discrimination, and complex civil litigation. He tried cases to verdict across Washington and argued appeals before all three divisions of the Court of Appeals and the Washington State Supreme Court.
Throughout his career, Judge Birk has worked to ensure that the courts remain open and fair to everyone—regardless of wealth, background, or circumstance. For more than a decade, he volunteered with the King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics, providing free legal assistance to people who could not afford an attorney. Many of those cases involved renters, consumers, and working families facing immediate financial or housing insecurity.
Judge Birk’s path to the law was shaped by Washington’s public education system. Encouraged by teachers who recognized his curiosity and drive, he enrolled early at the University of Washington, earning his undergraduate degree at 19 and his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law. After law school, he clerked for the Washington State Supreme Court, gaining firsthand insight into how appellate decisions shape the lives of Washingtonians.
Judge Birk is a fifth-generation Washingtonian and a lifelong resident of the state. He lives in Seattle with his wife and partner of more than 30 years. His deep roots in Washington—and his appreciation for the opportunities the state has provided—continue to shape his commitment to public service.
You can learn more about Judge Ian Birk HERE.
Justice Theo Angelis
Appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court in March 2026, Theo brings more than 25 years of legal experience as a respected appellate advocate, legal scholar, and public interest lawyer. Throughout his career, he has handled complex litigation and appellate cases involving constitutional issues, intellectual property, and federal and state law, earning recognition across the legal community for his rigorous legal analysis and commitment to justice.
In addition to his legal practice, Theo has dedicated significant time to public service and pro bono advocacy. He has represented asylum seekers and children in need, and his work supporting vulnerable communities has been recognized by organizations including the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). He is also a recipient of the ACLU’s Humanitarian Award and the King County Bar Association’s Mentor of the Year honor.
Theo is the first Justice of Middle Eastern descent to serve the Washington State Supreme Court, and previously served as President of the Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington (MELAW). The son and grandson of immigrants and refugees, he brings a deeply personal understanding of the importance of a legal system that protects opportunity, fairness, and equal treatment under the law.
He earned his law degree from Yale Law School and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit before beginning his legal career. Theo lives in Seattle with his family and is honored to serve the people of Washington on the state’s highest court.
You can learn more about Justice Angelis Here.
Chief Justice Debra Stephens
A Spokane native, Debra grew up with a deep appreciation for public service, volunteering in her school, church and community.. She earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from Gonzaga University, where she later taught constitutional law, community property, and appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor. Before taking the bench, she appeared as counsel more than 125 times before the Washington State Supreme Court and also advocated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
Appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court in 2008, Justice Stephens made history as the first woman from Eastern Washington — and the first judge from the Court of Appeals, Division Three — to serve on our state’s highest court. She has since been re-elected by Washington voters three times, and currently serves as Chief Justice, a position she also held in 2020–2021.
Throughout her tenure, Chief Justice Stephens has championed access to justice, judicial education, and the rule of law — working internationally with USAID to train judges on judicial independence, and earning recognition including the “Judge of the Year” award from the Washington State Association for Justice and the 2023 Rodel Judicial Fellowship. She also served for over a decade as a school board director, reflecting her lifelong investment in her community. She is a longtime Rotarian and volunteers for several organizations addressing youth services, food security, healthcare and civic engagement.
Debra and her husband have two grown children and a granddaughter. She enjoys tennis, pickleball, music and spending time with family on the Snake river below Hell’s Canyon.
You can learn more about Chief Justice Stephens Here.
