✅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 or Mike Diaz
- District 5: Justice Theo Angelis or Judge Sharonda Amamilo
- 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 Mike Diaz
After immigrating from Peru to Seattle as a child, Judge Mike Diaz has built a career defined by public service, civil rights enforcement, and judicial leadership. As a federal civil rights lawyer in Seattle, he helped found the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Program, protecting people in their workplaces, homes, and communities. He led the reforms of the Seattle Police Department and earned some of the highest honors at the U.S. Department of Justice.
For this service, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Diaz to a lifetime appointment on the federal court, only to be stymied by Mitch McConnell, who would not bring his nomination to a vote.
Appointed twice to the bench by Governor Jay Inslee, he has served on the King County Superior Court and the Washington Court of Appeals–together for over 8 years, where he has presided over trials and authored hundreds of decisions which have shaped Washington law.
Judge Diaz has since been endorsed by former Governors Inslee, Gregoire, and Locke, Attorney General Nick Brown, ten Supreme Court Justices, and hundreds of judges across our state. Four bar associations rate him Exceptionally Well Qualified.
With proven experience, principled judgment, and a deep understanding of the law, he is prepared to protect the rights and freedoms of the people of Washington with fairness and integrity, at a time when the rule of law is under assault.
You can learn more about Judge Diaz 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.
Judge Sharonda Amamilo
Sharonda Amamilo has spent her career in places most people never see: public defense offices, military intelligence units, family courts. Places where the most difficult decisions have to be made. She knows how difficult the legal system is to navigate, and what it costs people when it fails them.
Before the bench, Sharonda spent twelve years at the Thurston County Office of Public Defense, representing adults and children in criminal, juvenile, and dependency matters. She has seen firsthand what happens when someone walks into a courtroom with no idea what they're up against. She also served over 25 years in U.S. Army military intelligence, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer. Her work there as an Intelligence Oversight Officer required precise written analysis under pressure.
Today, Judge Amamilo serves on the Thurston County Superior Court, where voters elected her in 2020, making her the first person of color to hold this seat. Her docket has run from felony trials and complex civil disputes to dependency hearings and family law. As a Judge Pro Tempore on the Washington Court of Appeals, she also handles full record review and appellate deliberation alongside her Superior Court duties.
Sharonda has called Washington home since 1992. She and her husband of 28 years raised seven children here, and they now have six grandchildren. She earned her B.S. from Southern Illinois University, her MBA from Saint Martin's College, and her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
You can learn more about Judge Amamilo 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.
