Conservative Forces Organizing to Take Over Our Top Court
A coordinated network of far-right donors, dark-money groups, and conservative operatives is trying to seize control of Washington state’s Supreme Court. We’ve seen this nationally, where Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Koch brothers, and their conservative allies have successfully turned the US Supreme Court. Now, similar forces are at work here in Washington state, and they are following the same playbook.
With five of our nine state Supreme Court seats on the ballot this year, the danger presented by this right-wing effort to pack our court has never been greater–and the conservative special interests tied to right-wing groups called ‘Project 42’ and ‘Full Court Press’ have made their intentions very clear.
Their goal is simple:
Capture the courts.
Upend the progress our state has made to balance our tax code, stand up for workers, and protect our environment.
Lock in power for decades.
Make no mistake–this is an attempt by MAGA Republicans and their deep-pocketed funders to short-circuit Democratic policies by taking over our state’s Supreme Court. They have been recruiting and training candidates and have been building donor networks; now, they are gearing up to pour money into these races to elect their chosen few.
VOTER ALERT:
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Position 4 Sean O’Donnell
O'Donnell was a Republican staff member for conservative US Senator Slade Gorton. The Washington State Republican Party and MAGA Chairman Jim Walsh recommend O'Donnell for Position 4. As the GOP seeks to shift the court significantly to the right, it supports O'Donnell as part of its Republican slate–as does nearly every local Republican Party throughout the state. Other outspoken conservatives such as Brian Heywood and Brandi Kruse also support O'Donnell.
Furthermore, former Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna, a co-founder of Full Court Press, has given money to O'Donnell's campaign; and early this year, Sean was listed as a "prospect" on the Full Court Press website alongside Dave Larson and others. Sean's campaign does have some bipartisan support, but the vast majority of Democratic party organizations and elected officials are fully behind his opponent, Ian Birk.
We strongly recommend Ian Birk. Ian spent more than two decades in the courtroom helping regular folks get justice in the eyes of the law, often against long odds. He then took the bench in Division 1 of our state's Court of Appeals, where he has served with great esteem. Ian's deep understanding of the law and his commitment to justice make him the right person to join our state's highest court during these critical times. Learn more about Ian Birk here.
The Other Candidates
Position 1 Scott Edwards
A corporate attorney closely aligned with Rob McKenna, the far-right Freedom Foundation, and pro-business lobbying groups. Edwards has repeatedly challenged progressive tax policies on behalf of wealthy interests, and he has participated in Full Court Press events and candidate training efforts.
We recommend Colleen Melody. Learn more about Justice Melody here.
Position 3 David Stevens
Stevens has twice run for office as a Republican and was the vice chair of the Spokane GOP. He has supported an anti-abortion organization and worked to elect candidates who oppose the right to choose, oppose marriage equality, and don’t believe in manmade climate change. He has been trained by Full Court Press.
We recommend Jaime Michelle Hawk. Learn more about Judge Hawk here.
Position 5 Dave Larson
A perennial conservative judicial candidate, Larson has received support from MAGA Republicans, right-wing extremists, and Full Court Press allies. Larson has expressed opposition to Constitutional protections for same-sex marriages.
We recommend
Theo Angelis. Learn more about Justice Angelis here.
Position 7 Todd Bloom
A longtime Republican candidate and activist who ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice as a Republican and served as Treasurer of the Pierce County Republican Party. He made clear during a previous run for partisan office that he was anti-choice and supported repealing Obamacare. Bloom also has ties with Washington’s conservative political network, including the Family Policy Institute of Washington, Future 42, and the Washington GOP. In 2026, Bloom said he would have ruled against Washington’s capital-gains tax.
We recommend Debra Stephens. Learn more about Chief Justice Stephens here.
Who’s Behind This?
Washington’s judiciary is now a political battleground, and voters deserve to know who’s behind the effort to change it.
Led by former Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and backed by a web of conservative political organizations, Full Court Press is openly working to push Washington’s highest court to the right.
Add in Let's Go Washington and Brian Heywood, the mega-millionaire hedge fund mogul behind numerous failed right-wing ballot measures and one of Trump's largest donors in Washington state. In light of his recent failure to convince voters to protect the ultra-wealthy like himself by upending the capital gains tax, Heywood now says that he is also prioritizing these Supreme Court races.
What's at Stake?
This isn’t just another election cycle.
It’s part of a broader national strategy started by the Koch brothers over a decade ago to reshape state courts through low-visibility judicial races, coordinated political spending, and ideological recruitment.
Why the courts? Because Washington’s judiciary plays a critical role in protecting:
Reproductive freedom
Voting rights
Workers’ protections
Environmental safeguards
Civil liberties
The rule of law
LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality
Gun safety laws
The bottom line is that we must all BEWARE of this Attack on Our Courts. Spread the word, and vote for quality judicial candidates, not the chosen few of these right-wing ideologues.
No candidate authorized this ad. Paid for by BEWARE the Attack on Our Courts, 401 Second Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104. Top 5 Contributors: New Direction PAC, Washington Federation of State Employees, Washington Education Association PAC, Stritmatter Law, SEIU 775 Quality Care Committee. Top 3 Donors to PAC Contributors: SEIU 775, Washington Education Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.