Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens is running for Washington State Supreme Court Justice Position 3 in the Nov. 3 general election.
Stevens, who resides in Shelton, advanced first out of three candidates in the Aug. 4 primary, receiving 612,267 votes (35.2%) according to certified results reported by clearthemud.org. Pierce County voters will see this statewide race on their ballots.
In a questionnaire submitted to Surround Sound News, Stevens said he is running because "Washington deserves Supreme Court justices who are experienced, independent, and constitutionally grounded." He described the current court majority as "activist judges" appointed by the governor and said the court "should not replace the role of voters or the Legislature."
Candidate information
- Office sought: Washington State Supreme Court Justice, Position 3
- Election: Nov. 3, 2026, general election (nonpartisan)
- Residence: Shelton, Mason County, Washington
- Family: Married to Pamela for 31 years. Five children and 10 grandchildren.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in sociology, University of Washington (1991); J.D., University of Washington School of Law (1999); certificate in Islamic jurisprudence, U.S. Department of State
- Military service: Fire Controlman Second Class (E-5), U.S. Navy, stationed aboard the USS Camden AOE-2 in Bremerton; honorable discharge
- Community involvement: Deacon at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Shelton; member of VFW Larry Godwin Post 1694 Honor Guard; Skookum Rotary member; UW Law School mentor; YMCA and UW Law School mock trial judge
- Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party, King County Republican Party, Snohomish County Republican Party, Spokane County GOP and Kitsap County GOP, according to The Spokesman-Review and other reporting
Experience and public service
After his Navy service, Stevens used the Veterans' Education Assistance Program to attend the University of Washington. He then worked as a federal civil rights investigator at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Housing Enforcement Center in Seattle before attending law school.
His legal career spans prosecution, defense and international service. Stevens served as chief public defender for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (2014–2016) and a criminal defense attorney in private practice (2013–2018). He then served as chief criminal deputy at the Okanogan County Prosecutor's Office (2018–2021) and senior deputy prosecutor at the Mason County Prosecutor's Office (2021–2023).
Stevens also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of California, an international prosecutor in Prishtina, Kosovo, and a justice advisor in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.
Stevens was elected to Mason County Superior Court in November 2023, defeating an incumbent who had been appointed by then-Gov. Jay Inslee. He was re-elected in 2024.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Stevens describes himself as a textualist in statutory interpretation and an originalist in constitutional interpretation. He said he "strongly favor[s] judicial restraint and stare decisis" and rejects purposivism. He wrote that courts "should not … substitute their judgment for legislation or initiatives merely because judges believe another result would constitute better policy."
Role of the courts: Stevens said public policy belongs to the political branches and the people, not the courts. He cited the state capital gains tax ruling and decisions on public defense and juvenile warrants as examples he views as policymaking from the bench, telling KUOW: "They're doing things that make the system worse."
Criminal justice: Stevens opposes race-based evaluation of jury selection, stating it forces courts "to treat jurors differently based on their race." He supports judicial authority to issue warrants for defendants who fail to appear.
Trial experience: Stevens said the Supreme Court should have justices with trial experience. He noted he conducted more than 200 criminal jury trials to verdict before becoming a judge, writing that as a prosecutor he "became known as No Deal Dave."
