Unopposed Court candidate will have to run again in November despite 97 percent primary vote

By Evan Smith

Incumbent State Appeals Court Judge Michael Spearman, who ran unopposed in the August primary in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and the rest of King County, will have to run again in the November 8 general election despite winning more than 97 percent of the primary vote.

That’s because elections for positions on the State Supreme Court and courts of appeals must appear on both the primary- and general-election ballots even with only one or two candidates.

The rules are different for lower courts. Our superior court elections are canceled when only one candidate files. District court and municipal court elections have no primaries when there are only one or two candidates.

117,296 of the ballots cast did not mark a preference in this race. 

COURT OF APPEALS, DIVISION NO. 1, DISTRICT NO. 1

Final primary results certified Aug. 31, from King County Records and Elections.

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: *

338255

/

1094533

30.90%

Judge Position No. 2

Michael Spearman

214804

97.21%

Write-in

6155

2.79%

* Reflects the voter registration count as of August 4, 2011.