Stevens leads Hawk in state Supreme Court Position 3 race

Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens leads King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Michelle Hawk in the race for Washington State Supreme Court Position 3, according to unofficial results from Washington Secretary of State.

Stevens had 61,507 votes (55.6%) to Hawk's 48,766 votes (44.1%), a margin of 12,741 votes, with 5 of 39 reporting units counted as of 8:08 p.m. Nov. 3, 2026.

What was at stake

The Washington Supreme Court is the state's highest court and has the final say on questions of state law, from criminal cases to challenges involving state legislation. Judicial races in Washington are nonpartisan.

Five of the court's nine seats are on the ballot this year, an unusually large number driven by retirements and scheduled elections, according to Yahoo News.

The key issues:

• Stevens, who calls himself a "strict constructionist," said his approach relies on interpreting the state constitution as originally intended, according to Yahoo News. Hawk said her judicial philosophy is "grounded in strengthening public trust and confidence in our courts and faithfully applying the rule of law," according to The Spokesman-Review.
• The court struck down a voter-approved natural gas initiative in September 2026 in a 6-3 ruling, and a new 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million could face constitutional challenges before the court, according to Fox 13 Seattle.
• The Washington State Republican Party endorsed Stevens, while Gov. Bob Ferguson and various Democratic officials backed Hawk, according to The Spokesman-Review and The Hill.

A little history

Position 3 is open because Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, who held the seat since 2020, is not seeking reelection. Stevens, 64, of Shelton, served in the U.S. Navy, worked as a federal civil-rights investigator and spent more than two decades as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney in state, federal, tribal and international courts, according to The Spokesman-Review.

He was elected to the Mason County Superior Court in November 2023. Hawk's legal career includes work as a state and federal public defender and an attorney with the ACLU of Washington, according to Yahoo News. Stevens advanced first out of three candidates in the Aug. 4 primary with 35.2% of the vote.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. County canvassing boards have until Nov. 24 to certify their results, and the Secretary of State's deadline to certify the general election is Dec. 3.

The winner will succeed Montoya-Lewis, whose term ends Dec. 31. Supreme Court justices serve six-year terms.

Election results: Washington State Supreme Court Justice - Position 3 (Washington General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Washington Secretary of State. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 8:08 p.m. PST. Reporting: 5 of 39. Unofficial results; the count is not complete.