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Posts published in “Day: November 10, 2010”

Why Sanders is losing

sanders
Richard Sanders

Only scattered Washington state writers about politics are taking note of this one, but it's of some significance: A Washington state Supreme Court justice, Richard Sanders.

Sanders, who got to the court in 1995 after defeating an incumbent appointed by the liberal Governor Mike Lowry, has been a mostly consistent libertarian on the court. He could find common cause with the left on some social issues, but allied with the right on less visible but more frequent and often more crucial regulatory and economic matters.

Sanders had seemed to be headed toward another win, but his opponent this year, Charlie Wiggins, drew fairly close on election day, gained ground steadily since, now has taken the lead and seems likely to prevail. That has happened in large part because Wiggins, whose support came mostly from Democratic quarters, has done so well in King County, where many of the later votes have been counted.

This may be the first successful challenge to a state supreme court justice from the left in the Northwest in a very long time.

The best piece of detailed writing on this so far may be a longish analysis in the Slog. It is worth a read.