Pierce County District Court Position No. 2
November 3, 2026 · Pierce County, Washington · County · general
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 · 13 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 930,319 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(2,287,171 ÷ 930,319) ÷ ln(2,287,171 ÷ 2,353) = 13.08, comparing counties in WA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
Low representation + an uncontested race → Very low vote impact.
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing trials — criminal cases, lawsuits, family, or probate matters, depending on the court
- Ruling on evidence, motions, and sentences
- Applying state law and court procedure fairly in every case
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Claire Sussman
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Claire Sussman is the presiding judge of Pierce County District Court and the unopposed 2026 candidate for Position 2. She has served on the court since 2010 following work in private practice, six years as a deputy prosecutor, and seven years as a pro tempore judge. Her administrative record includes court-rule oversight, criminal-filing procedures, municipal-court supervision, judicial education, budget presentation, and community mentoring and service.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Impartiality 1 for, Legal Competence 5 for
Election sources
Source: voter.votewa.gov
Source: voter.votewa.gov