Two candidates tout unbiased view, differing experiences for Washington Supreme Court seat

Two candidates vying for a rare open seat on Washington’s Supreme Court believe their past experiences will help them make a change in the state.

Longtime Seattle attorney Salvador “Sal” Mungia and Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson will face off in the Nov. 5 election, where one will replace the seat of Justice Susan Owens, who has to retire this year because she will turn 75 in August. Mungia received a majority of votes in the primaries.

Mungia believes he is the best choice for the state because he has argued a number of complex cases before the Supreme Court. Even with no experience as a judge, he wants to see a blend of people with different backgrounds on the bench.

“In the state Supreme Court, you’re dealing with constitutional issues, complicated issues. These are things I’ve done throughout my career,” he said. “I’ve done this through every level, as opposed to my opponent, who spent the last years as a municipal court judge. That’s a court of limited jurisdictions, and that’s completely different than what would be brought before the state Supreme Court.”

Municipal judges normally handle contract disputes, traffic violations, occasional drug charges, minor theft and more. But Larson, who’s been there since 2008, doesn’t believe that makes him unqualified. He’s also argued complex cases over constitutionality, he said.

“The Supreme Court judges errors made by other judges, so until you have that judge experience … That perspective is 100% different,” he said. “I’m not disrespecting anyone’s credentials, but it’s not that giant of a leap.”

An issue both candidates seem to agree on is the lack of public defenders in the state. Mungia is an advocate for cutting caseloads, he said, and believes access is the largest issue at hand in the legal system.

“If people can’t afford an attorney, they won’t have meaningful access to the legal system. It might not be a fair fight,” he said. “That needs more funding, and hopefully more attorneys doing pro bono work.”

Larson said increased training, better pay and use of public defender districts that help multiple jurisdictions could help alleviate the issue.

There’s also a lack of leadership within the Supreme Court, he believes.

“One of the reasons I’m running is because justices aren’t putting their biases away.”

Larson cites State v. Blake, a decision that effectively ruled Washington’s drug possession law unconstitutional in 2021 after a challenge from a Spokane woman, leading lawmakers to rewrite legislation.

“The (justices) used their own arguments to get the results they wanted. That case put our state on its head,” he said. “They just took a particular approach more important than following precedent.”

Mungia thinks people blame courts without knowing they are bound by law. But putting away bias is important, he added.

“Judges try to recognize what their biases are so they can address them. A bigger part is people don’t understand the difference between bias and different legal viewpoints on how to interpret the Constitution,” Mungia said. “I try to remain nonpolitical.”

Both candidates also have differing approaches when it comes to Gov. Jay Inslee. Mungia was endorsed by Inslee, according to his website, but Larson has sparred with the governor over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. And Larson believes Mungia was picked by party elites, whereas he is “what the people need.”

But Mungia disagrees.

“People know my work,” he said. “They know my ethics and what matters.”