Managing assistant attorney general to run for Thurston County judge

Chris Lanese, state managing assistant attorney general, announced Friday that he will be a candidate for Thurston County Superior Court judge.

Lanese said he will seek the seat now held by Judge Chris Wickham, who plans to retire when his term ends in January 2017. Lanese is the first person to publicly announce candidacy for the position.

Lanese is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Dartmouth College. He serves on the Thurston County Bar Association’s board of directors.

According to a press release, Lanese is endorsed by six Washington Supreme Court justices — Mary Fairhurst, Charles Johnson, Susan Owens, Debra Stephens, Charles Wiggins and Mary Yu — and retired Chief Justice Gerry Alexander. Retired Thurston County Superior Court Judges Robert Doran, Carol Fuller and Christine Pomeroy also have offered their support as has state Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Sutton.

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former Attorney General Rob McKenna also support Lanese, according to the release.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Managing assistant attorney general to run for Thurston County judge."