Justice Colleen Melody is running for Washington Supreme Court Position 1 in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. King County Elections’ general-election list names Scott Edwards as the other candidate in this nonpartisan race.
Professional background
Her official court biography describes previous service in the civil-rights divisions of the Washington attorney general’s office and the U.S. Department of Justice. She graduated from the University of Washington and its law school, then clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge Ronald M. Gould.
In her submitted Oct. 2 Surround Sound Media questionnaire, Melody says her Supreme Court appointment was announced Nov. 24, 2025, and she assumed her seat Jan. 1, 2026. She identifies it as her first appointed or elected office.
Her questionnaire responses
Melody says her goals include protecting individual and constitutional rights, making courts transparent and accessible, and treating victims of crime and discrimination with dignity and respect. She says judges should approach cases with impartiality and humility.
She reports practicing law in 34 of Washington’s 39 counties and working on civil-rights matters involving employment, housing, education, health care and government conduct. She describes building the attorney general’s Civil Rights Division as her proudest professional accomplishment. These are her own accounts of her experience and priorities in the submitted questionnaire.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.
