WAGOP Completes Official Recommendations of Candidates for the State Supreme by Recommending Scott Edwards  

Bellevue—The Washington State Republican Party (WAGOP) has completed its official recommendations of candidates for the State Supreme Court in advance of the August 4^th primary by recommending Scott Edwards for Position 1 on the Court.

In a special meeting of the WAGOP State Committee held in early July, county chairs and state committee members from around Washington followed the Party’s longstanding practice and met a two-thirds supermajority threshold in voting to recommend Edwards.

Edwards is a Seattle-based tax attorney with some 30 years of experience representing clients on state and local tax matters. He has tried multiple cases at the Washington Supreme Court, including cases that have challenged the constitutionality of Washington’s state capital gains tax. He is a graduate of Princeton University (B.A., magna cum laude) and the University of Washington School of Law (J.D.).

He has served as a partner at several prominent Seattle-area law firms, while also teaching state and local tax law at the University of Washington School of Law.

Announcing the Party’s recommendation of Edwards, WAGOP Chairman Jim Walsh said the following:

“Scott Edwards has strong supporters on the WAGOP State Committee. These supporters talk about his strong academic credentials and expertise on tax policy—something the State Supreme Court definitely needs. But I’m most impressed by what Edwards has said about his judicial philosophy, generally. He believes that judges should act as a check on legislative and executive overreach, maintaining the rule of law and separation of powers. This is critical, in a state that’s been damaged repeatedly by overreaching governors and other elected officials. Edwards has also criticized the rotten practice of judges retiring early to allow the governor to appoint donors and political cronies to the bench—who then run as incumbents at the next election. Cheers to Scott Edwards for filing to run against one of those unelected ‘incumbents’.”

With the Edwards recommendation, WAGOP has completed its official recommendations ahead of next month’s primary election. Those recommendations are:

• Position 1, Scott Edwards and Laura Christensen Colberg
• Position 3, Judge David Stevens
• Position 5, Judge Dave Larson
• Position 7, Todd Bloom

WAGOP Chairman Walsh points out that there will be one more State Supreme Court spot (Position 4) on the November general election ballot. But only two candidates have filed for that position, so they will not appear on the primary ballot. WAGOP will make its recommendation on that race after the August primary.

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