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Becker leads court race despite trailing in funds

Associated Press

SEATTLE – Proving that money isn’t everything, the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary for an open Supreme Court seat was Court of Appeals Judge Mary Kay Becker, the No. 3 fund-raiser in the race.

Becker’s diverse background includes stints as a legislator, private attorney, Whatcom County councilwoman and novelist – co-author of 1974’s “Superspill,” about a fictional oil spill disaster. She has served on the Court of Appeals for a decade and also had experience as a pro tem Supreme Court justice.

Becker has trailed in fund-raising to appellate attorney Jim Johnson and King County Superior Court Judge Robert Alsdorf, but they trailed her in early returns.

With 25 percent of precincts reporting, Becker had 24 percent of the vote, Johnson had 19 percent, and Alsdorf had 15 percent. It was a particularly poor showing for Alsdorf, who was trailing Bill Murphy, an engineer-turned-attorney with far less legal experience. Murphy had 16 percent of the vote.

Johnson lost a close Supreme Court race in 2002 by only a few thousand votes, in a campaign that set new spending records. Johnson vigorously but unsuccessfully defended the state’s much-beloved open primary system against court challenges.

Alsdorf is best known as the judge who first struck down Initiative 695, Eyman’s $30 car-tab measure.

The two top finishers in the race for the open seat will advance to the primary. In the other two Supreme Court primaries, two incumbents were hoping pull in more than 50 percent of the primary vote, which would allow them to win their races outright.

Justice Barbara Madsen had 61 percent of the vote against challenger Terrence Lukens’ 39 percent with 25 percent of precincts reporting. Lukens is a King County Superior Court judge.

Justice Richard Sanders, in a six-way race to keep his seat, was leading with 27 percent of the vote and 25 percent of precincts reporting. His closest challenger was Terry Sebring, an assistant attorney general and former Pierce County Superior Court judge, who had 20 percent.