Yakima County

Washington Supreme Court

Supreme Court justices are elected to six-year terms by voters throughout the entire state. There are nine Supreme Court justices, and Washington residents will vote for three in 2008.

Each of the three incumbent justices who ran for re-election this year received more than 50% of the ballots cast in the primary election. Accordingly, each of them will appear unopposed on the November 4 general election ballot.

Position Three:
Mary Fairhurst

Position Four:
Charles Johnson

Position Seven:
Debra Stephens

Court of Appeals

Division Three, District Three

Judge Stephen Brown's term expires at the end of 2008. He is running unopposed for re-election.

Stephen Brown

Superior Court

Superior Court judges are elected to four-year terms. All Superior Court positions throughout Washington are up for election in 2008.

If only one candidate runs for an office in a county with a population of more than 100,000, that candidate receives a Certificate of Election, and the position will not appear on either the primary or the general election ballot. If there is a contested primary election and one candidate receives more than 50% of the votes cast, the winning candidate receives a Certificate of Election, and the position will not appear on the general election ballot. If no candidate in a contested primary election receives more than 50% of the votes cast, the two candidates receiving the most votes appear on the general election ballot.

No Yakima County Superior Court positions will appear on the November 4 general election ballot.

District Court

District Court judges are elected to four-year terms; they were elected in 2006, and their terms extend through the end of 2010. Some positions may appear on the 2008 ballot.

Judge Michael McCarthy left his District Court position in February 2008 to accept an appointment to the Yakima County Superior Court. In April, the Yakima County Commission appointed Ralph Thompson Jr to fill the vacant position. The appointment is only through the end of 2008, however.

Judge Thompson has filed as a candidate for the elected position, to continue to hold the office through 2010. He will appear on the general election ballot in November without opposition.

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