Hawk leads Stevens in state Supreme Court Position 3 race

King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk holds a wide lead over Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens in the race for Washington Supreme Court Position 3, according to initial unofficial results from the Washington Secretary of State.

Hawk had 487,028 votes, or about 62%, to Stevens' 296,184 votes, or about 38%, as initial results were posted shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The seat is open because Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis is not seeking reelection.

What was at stake

The Washington Supreme Court is the state's highest court, with final say on questions of state law. Justices serve six-year terms.

Five of the court's nine seats were on the Nov. 3 ballot, an unusually large number driven by retirements and regularly scheduled elections, according to Yahoo News. Judicial races in Washington are nonpartisan.

The key issues:

• Stevens, who calls himself a "strict constructionist," said the court's rulemaking decisions are driven by ideology. He said his approach relies on interpreting the state constitution as originally intended, according to the Spokesman-Review.
• Hawk said her judicial philosophy centers on strengthening public trust in the courts and applying the rule of law so that judges decide cases based on the constitution and statutes, not personal views.
• Stevens is backed by the Washington state, King County and Snohomish County Republican parties. Hawk is endorsed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, Supreme Court Justice Helen Whitener and retired Justice Mary Yu.

The winner will help shape rulings on state law that affect families, property rights and civil liberties across Washington, including in Bellevue.

A little history

Position 3 opened because Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, who has held the seat since 2020, chose not to seek reelection.

Montoya-Lewis was the first Native American elected statewide in Washington's history, according to the Washington State Standard.

Stevens, 64, is a former Spokane County deputy prosecutor and U.S. Navy veteran who was elected to the Mason County Superior Court in 2023. Hawk, 48, lives in Federal Way and has worked as a state and federal public defender and an attorney with the ACLU of Washington. Three candidates ran in the Aug. 4 primary for the seat.

What's next

The results remain unofficial. Counties must finish their canvass by Nov. 24, and the Secretary of State's certification deadline is Dec. 3. More ballots will be counted in the coming days as mail-in votes continue to be tallied.

Election results: Washington State Supreme Court Justice - Position 3 (Washington General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Washington Secretary of State. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 8:08 p.m. PST. Reporting: 5 of 39. Unofficial results; the count is not complete.