Thurston County attorney running for Wickham Superior Court post

Attorney Laura Murphy has announced her candidacy for a Thurston County Superior Court judge position that is being vacated by Judge Chris Wickham, who is retiring.

According to a news release, Murphy has practiced law for 15 years, served for 10 years as judge pro tempore for Thurston County District Court, and was recently selected as a commissioner pro tempore for Thurston County Superior Court, overseeing mental health hearings.

Murphy will compete for the seat against Chris Lanese, state managing assistant attorney general, who announced his candidacy in January. Lanese is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Dartmouth College. He serves on the Thurston County Bar Association’s board of directors.

Wickham is one of two Thurston County judges retiring in January. Judge Gary Tabor isn’t seeking re-election either, and Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Skinder has announced that he will seek Tabor’s seat in the November election.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Thurston County attorney running for Wickham Superior Court post."