Third state justice to seek re-election

On Wednesday, Justice James M. "Jim" Johnson of Olympia became the third Supreme Court justice to say he is running for re-election this year.

Justice Richard Sanders is seeking another six-year term, as is Chief Justice Barbara Madsen.

Sanders already has drawn an opponent, Kitsap County attorney Charles Wiggins, who is a former state Court of Appeals judge. No others on the nine-member court are up for re-election.

State Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna is an early endorser of Johnson, who wrote the legal text of the “Top Two” primary election initiative in 2004, which the Washington State Grange led to passage the year he won his court seat.

Also endorsing Johnson is Justice Gerry Alexander, according to Alex Hays, the chairman of the Johnson campaign.

Johnson’s news release said he has written more than 131 opinions, “including 83 majorities and concurrences in majority. Amongst his majority opinions are landmark defenses of civil rights, including religious freedom (City of Woodinville v. North Shore United Church of Christ), free speech (Rickert v. State) and the right of initiative and referendum (Coppernoll et al. v. Reed).”