Seattle Municipal Court Judge Position No. 5
August 4, 2026 · Seattle city, Washington · City · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 0 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 754,195 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(754,195 ÷ 754,195) ÷ ln(754,195 ÷ 7) = 0, comparing cities and towns in WA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing local cases, such as traffic tickets, small claims, and city code violations
- Ruling on fines and penalties
- Applying city and state law fairly in every case
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Gabe Rothstein
Nonpartisan · declared
Gabe Rothstein is a Washington judge pro tempore and a public defender with more than 20 years of courtroom experience. He has tried more than 70 cases, chairs the Washington State Bar Association Character and Fitness Board, and has worked in misdemeanor, felony, treatment-court, juvenile, and civil-commitment practice.
Records: Legal Competence 2 for
Garmon Newsom
Nonpartisan · declared
Garmon Newsom is a Seattle Municipal Court pro tem judge with more than 30 years of criminal and civil legal experience. He previously served as Burien city attorney, a municipal attorney, and a prosecutor, and his campaign biography reports more than 75 civil and criminal trials.
Records: Legal Competence 2 for
Lindsay Calkins
Nonpartisan · declared
Lindsay Calkins is a Seattle trial and appellate attorney with nearly 15 years of litigation experience focused on criminal appeals and resentencing. She graduated with honors from Princeton University, earned her law degree from the University of Chicago, and previously clerked for a federal appellate judge.
Records: Legal Competence 2 for
Election sources
Source: kingcounty.gov
Source: cdn.kingcounty.gov