Bellevue—During its regular quarterly meeting on the evening of June 24 and ahead of the 2026 Primary Election set for August 4, 2026, the State Committee of the Washington State Republican Party (WAGOP) made additional official early recommendations for two candidates seeking open seats on the Washington State Supreme Court. They are Laura Christensen Colberg (Position 1) and Todd Bloom (Position 7).
WAGOP Chairman Jim Walsh says: “The State Committee of the WAGOP has recommended candidates in two more State Supreme Court races this year. In Position 1, we recommend Laura Christensen Colberg and, in Position 7, we recommend Todd Bloom. The WAGOP is impressed with Christensen Colberg’s extensive experience in the courtroom, her particular expertise in family law and her work as a court commissioner—which gives her relevant experience on the bench. The WAGOP likes Bloom’s background as a military attorney early in his career and his work more recently in support of the Pierce County GOP. Both Christensen Colberg and Bloom are committed to following the Washington State Constitution and standing as independent judges—not rubber stamps of the current governor or any politician.”
These recommendations join WAGOP’s early recommendations in April for two candidates also seeking open seats on the Washington State Supreme Court. Those candidates include recently retired Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson (Position 5) and current Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens (Position 3).
“Both Judge Larson and Judge Stevens plan to bring much needed ‘diversity of thought’ to the Washington State Supreme Court,” said WAGOP Chairman Rep. Jim Walsh, at the time. “Laura Christensen Colberg and Todd Bloom will strengthen and broaden this intellectual diversity. This is a good thing.”
Chairman Walsh added: “This is an extraordinary year for the Washington State Supreme Court. Due to a combination of mandatory retirements and unexpected resignations, five of the nine positions on the Court will be up for election this November. And, with multiple major cases heading to the Court in the coming months—including lawsuits over the controversial state income tax scheme, the raid on the LEOFF1 public-employee pension, attacks on elected sheriffs around the state, the excessive use of emergency clauses on bills in Olympia, anti-gun rights proposals, gender ideology in public schools and others—these elections for the WA State Supreme Court are more important than ever.”
Because judicial races in Washington state are nonpartisan, WAGOP appreciates that most judge candidates prefer to be ‘recommended’ by political parties rather than to be ‘endorsed.’ It is also why WAGOP is calling on Justice Colleen Melody to recuse herself from future litigation involving the state income tax. Current Governor Bob Ferguson appointed Melody in November 2025 on the recommendation of Washington State Solicitor General Noah Purcell, who worked with Melody in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office—in what is being perceived as an apparent conflict of interest and as wholly partisan. Laura Christensen Colberg is challenging the appointed (but never elected) Melody.
Purcell could be the one defending the state income tax in court before Melody, the justice he recommended. Purcell also advised legislative Democrats on how to draft the 9.9% millionaires’ tax to survive constitutional challenges and avoid a referendum. At the very least, the optics of partisanship are diminishing trust in the WA State Supreme Court.
In the same special meeting, the WAGOP State Committee also endorsed WA State Sen. John Braun’s campaign for the U.S. Congress in Washington’s Third Congressional District. About that endorsement, Chairman Walsh says: “John Braun is an effective legislator and proven leader in Olympia. He will be an outstanding representative in Washington, D.C., for his southwest Washington district. His credentials are impeccable—Navy veteran, successful business owner, and three-term state senator. John Braun knows how to get things done.”
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