62 Washington judges defend Sean O’Donnell after opponent alleges partisan campaign

The useful part

Edit Close Close A gavel rests on a block atop a judge's bench in an empty courtroom. Shopify Partners / Burst Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email A gavel rests on a block atop a judge's bench in an empty courtroom. "None of us have ever heard him suggest or inject partisan politics into any of his decisions or work he has done for the judicial branch," the judges wrote in a letter to Washington voters released in September.

How it works

• Before becoming a judge, he spent about 20 years as a civil litigator representing individuals, families and small businesses in cases involving insurance, workplace discrimination and consumer protection.
• Birk's campaign said his record includes representing families, workers and vulnerable people before becoming a judge and emphasized his statewide endorsements as evidence of his judicial record.
• The 62 judges similarly argued that bipartisan support should not be treated as evidence of partisanship in a judicial race.
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• Birk's campaign responded to questions about the letter and said voters deserve to know about O'Donnell's political support.

What to take from it

The judges said in a letter that allegations made by Washington Court of Appeals Judge Ian Birk against O'Donnell are false and risk bringing the type of partisan conflict seen in other political races into Washington's judicial elections. Independent reporting has confirmed McKenna contributed $500 to O'Donnell's campaign. O'Donnell said he contacted Birk earlier this year and proposed that the candidates focus their campaigns on their records and visions for the court.

Example or evidence

• O'Donnell said Birk has asked him to disavow the Republican recommendation.
• He argued that doing so could conflict with his responsibilities as a judicial candidate.
• Washington's Code of Judicial Conduct includes rules addressing political and campaign activity and requires judges and judicial candidates to preserve the independence, integrity and impartiality of the...
• "Impartiality is the northstar of being a judge," O'Donnell said in a Facebook post.

Details worth keeping

Shopify Partners / Burst Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save (The Center Square) — A group of 62 current and former Washington judges is defending state Supreme Court candidate Sean O'Donnell after his opponent accused him of pursuing a partisan agenda in the race for Position 4. The letter comes after Birk accused O'Donnell in a campaign fundraising email of choosing to "join" a slate of candidates recommended by the Washington State Republican Party, being "affiliated" with the State GOP while serving as a judge and having a "partisan agenda" in his campaign for the Supreme Court. Birk, 47, was appointed to the Washington Court of Appeals in 2022 by then-Gov.

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