Supreme Court, Position 3
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Raquel Montoya-Lewis (N) | 2,057,623 | 58.45% |
| David Larson | 1,462,764 | 41.55% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Raquel Montoya-Lewis
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 56
- City:
- Bellingham, Washington
Education: Bachelor's degree in English from the University of New Mexico in 1992. Law degree from the University of Washington Law School in 1995. Master's degree in social work from the University of Washington in 1996.
Work experience: Whatcom Superior Court Judge from 2014-2019. Associate professor at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies. Previously practiced law and served as chief justice of the the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the Lummi Nation.
Political experience: Appointed to Washington Supreme Court in December 2019. Appointed to Whatcom County Superior Court in 2014. Was unopposed in 2015 and 2016 elections to the seat.
Family: Married to Colin. Two teenage children.
David Larson
- Age:
- 66
- City:
- Federal Way, Washington
Education: Graduated from Federal Way High School 1976. Earned bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Puget Sound in 1980. Earned law degree from Seattle University School of Law in 1984.
Work experience: Served as judge at Federal Way Municipal Court since 2008; presiding judge since 2009. Worked as a civil trial lawyer for 23 years before becoming a judge. Owned his own law firm between 1991 and 2001, and a mediation company with 22 contract mediators between 1998 and 2001.
Political experience: Elected to Federal Way Municipal Court in 2021, 2017, 2013 and 2009. Appointed to Federal Way School Board in 2007 and elected to the position in 2007. Resigned when elected as a judge in 2009. Ran unsuccessfully for Supreme Court in 2016 and 2020.
Family: Single. Has two adult children and four grandchildren.
Campaign finance: Raised around $99,000, largely in individual donations from people in his area as of Oct. 4, 2024, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Complete Coverage
Whitener and Montoya-Lewis easily retain their Washington Supreme Court seats; Staab wins appeals court race
Spokane County voters cast ballots in three contested judicial races in this election. One is for a seat on the state’s Court of Appeals, and two are for seats on the Washington Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis defends seat against Federal Way Judge David Larson
Montoya-Lewis and Larson both said the work of a justice extends beyond just hearing arguments and penning opinions. Montoya-Lewis was appointed to her seat in December and Larson is making his second run for the Supreme Court.
Washington Supreme Court justices tour domestic violence services in Spokane
The justices lauded the Family Justice Center, which combines investigators, prosecutors and victim advocates under one roof to assist the large number of Spokane County residents experiencing some type of domestic violence issue.
Washington’s highest court gets chief justice from Spokane, first Native American member
With ceremonial drumming and singing and a bit of poetry, the Washington Supreme Court swore in a “daughter of Spokane” as its new chief justice and its first Native American justice in history.
Raquel Montoya-Lewis named as first Native American to Washington Supreme Court
A Whatcom County Superior Court judge with extensive experience as a tribal judge to become first Native American on the Washington Supreme Court.