Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and incumbent justices Richard Sanders and Jim Johnson gain approval from the state’s largest business association
OLYMPIA— The Association of Washington Business is endorsing Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and incumbent justices Richard Sanders and Jim Johnson in their re-election campaigns for the Washington Supreme Court.
The endorsements came following an extensive process that included interviews with the candidates, a review of campaign materials and candidate questionnaires, and — in the case of the incumbents — a thorough review of their record and their ranking in AWB’s Judicial Scorecard, which evaluates justices’ votes in cases of importance to the business community.
Although Chief Justice Madsen is unopposed, the committee that developed the endorsements was impressed by the vision and energy the newly installed chief justice brings to the administrative aspects of the position, said Kris Tefft, AWB’s general counsel and director of AWB’s practice before the Supreme Court. “She is interested in making the state court system operate more like a business,” Tefft said.
AWB voted to endorse Justice Johnson over challenger Stan Rumbaugh, a Tacoma attorney, based on Johnson’s demonstrated record of respecting the rights of employers before the court. AWB understands the independence of the judicial branch, and does not expect justices to agree with the business position all of the time, Tefft noted. “We’re looking for fairness and impartiality. Do we get a fair shot when we get our day in court? We believe we do with Justice Johnson, and it’s particularly evident in cases involving regulation and development of property, and interpretation of tax statutes.”
In the other contested race, AWB voted to endorse Justice Sanders over challengers Charles Wiggins, a former Court of Appeals judge and appellate practice attorney from Bainbridge Island, and Bryan Chushcoff, a sitting Superior Court judge in Pierce County. “Justice Sanders has a strong record of supporting constitutional and statutory rights of property owners and taxpayers in Washington,” Tefft said. “We agree with him more often than not, and his record shows us that he is a fair and impartial jurist and we believe we can get a fair shake before him.”
AWB’s endorsements were decided by an ad hoc committee comprised of AWB members who are attorneys, members of the association’s executive committee and members of the board of directors. The committee’s recommendations were forwarded to AWB’s executive committee, which approved them Thursday.
AWB’s 2010 Judicial Scorecard, which includes a detailed evaluation of the Supreme Court justices’ votes in cases of importance to the business community, will be published later next month.
About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,000 members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit http://www.awb.org/.
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