2006 GENERAL ENDORSEMENTS: JUDICIAL RACES (STATEWIDE)
Every year, the Northwest Progressive Institute teams with its Permanent Defense division to produce an endorsements guide for members and supporters.
Among Democratic and nonpartisan candidates, we endorse candidates that we believe best reflect our progressive values. If we endorse Republicans, we look for candidates that are closest to our beliefs, giving the nod to moderates and rejecting extremists, while recognizing that such candidates may not share many of our values, vision, or ideals.
We ask three general questions when evaluating every candidate for endorsement:
- What are the candidate’s qualifications and why is he or she the best candidate?
- What is the candidate’s vision, plan, and agenda for the office they are seeking?
- What other endorsements or support does the candidate have?
With that introduction, here's our 2006 endorsements guide for judicial offices on the November general election ballot. >> Return to the Elections Center
State Supreme Court, Position #2: SUSAN OWENS
Our Statement: Justice Susan Owens is the only logical choice in the race for State Supreme Court, Position 2. With 25 years of experience on the bench, Justice Owens is the seventh woman to ever sit as a member of the high court. She has served the people admirably throughout her career, and her record speaks of fairness and impartiality. She is a longtime advocate for ending domestic violence. Additionally, Justice Owens is rated "Exceptionally Well Qualified" by the Washington Women Lawyers. Her opponent, Stephen Johnson, is a right wing backed candidate with no experience as a judge. Johnson is in fact a Republican state senator who left the Legislature to run for Supreme Court. His legislative record and his campaign rhetoric clearly demonstrates that he is an ideologue with an agenda. He has only practiced law part time for the past 12 years. He is strongly supported by the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) which is spending feverishly in an attempt to pack the State Supreme Court. We cannot afford to lose Susan Owens' independent voice to an agent of special interests with an extremist right wing record. We must reelect Justice Susan Owens to the Supreme Court.
Other Endorsements: Notable endorsements include Governor Gary Locke, the Washington State Democrats, the State Labor Council, Congressman Jay Inslee, Governor Christine Gregoire, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, Equal Rights Washington, Preston Gates and Ellis, the Sierra Club, as well as over 100 judges and numerous Democratic organizations.
Other Judicial Races
Justices Gerry Alexander and Tom Chambers were also previously endorsed in the primary, along with Judges Penoyar, Becker, and Quinn-Brintall, but they are unopposed in the general election, as their races were decided last month. Please show your support by voting for them again.
© 2006 Northwest Progressive Institute.
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