Dee Sonntag seeks reelection to Tacoma Municipal Court bench

Tacoma Municipal Court Judge Dee Sonntag is running to keep her Position 1 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, Washington general election.

Sonntag has held the position since 2023, according to BallotReady profile data. The race is nonpartisan. She is certified for the ballot.

Candidate information

Office sought: Tacoma Municipal Court Judge, Position 1
Election: Washington General Election, Nov. 3, 2026
Party: Nonpartisan
Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
Education: Bachelor's degree in politics, philosophy and economics, University of Washington (2013); J.D., University of Washington (2015)
Endorsements: Pierce County Democrats; National Women's Political Caucus of Washington (both claimed by the endorsing organizations, per BallotReady)
Campaign website: hiredeesonntag.com

Experience and public service

Sonntag worked in public defense for nearly a decade before taking the bench, according to BallotReady profile data.

She started as a summer extern and legal assistant at the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel from 2014 to 2015. She served as a Rule 9 attorney with the city of Seattle in 2015, a designation that allows law students to practice under supervision.

Sonntag then returned to the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel as an attorney from 2016 to 2022, and she also worked in the office's felony division from 2019 to 2023 before moving to the bench. She has served as Tacoma Municipal Court judge in Position 1 from 2023 to the present.

The reviewed candidate materials do not include information about specific cases Sonntag handled as a public defender or rulings she has issued from the bench.

On the issues

Of all the issue categories reviewed in the candidate materials, only one included a response from Sonntag: criminal justice and public safety. No positions on topics such as court access, sentencing practices or pretrial procedures were provided.

Criminal justice and public safety

In a candidate response submitted through BallotReady, Sonntag said on her campaign website: "We are committed to expanding these programs and others that increase access to our court and provide alternatives to case resolution that reduce recidivism and increase community safety."

Sonntag did not detail which programs she referenced or what specific alternatives she supports.

Voters looking for additional information about Sonntag's positions may find her campaign website does not elaborate beyond the statement submitted through BallotReady.