Justice of the Supreme Court, Position 4
November 3, 2026 · Washington · Statewide · 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: Average · 38 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 7,816,116 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(39,287,377 ÷ 7,816,116) ÷ ln(39,287,377 ÷ 582,397) = 38.34, comparing all statewide districts nationwide (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → 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 appeals and major cases under state law
- Deciding what the state constitution and state laws mean
- Setting rulings that lower state courts must follow
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Ian Birk
Nonpartisan · declared
Ian Birk is a judge on Division I of the Washington Court of Appeals and a 2026 candidate for Washington Supreme Court Position 4. Appointed to the appellate court in 2022 and elected later that year, he previously spent two decades as a civil litigator and volunteered for more than ten years with neighborhood legal clinics.
Records: Civil Rights 5 for, Impartiality 1 for, Legal Competence 8 for
Sean O'Donnell
Nonpartisan · declared
Sean O'Donnell is a King County Superior Court judge and a 2026 candidate for Washington Supreme Court Position 4. Elected to the superior-court bench in 2013, he has led criminal and family-court dockets, served as president of the statewide Superior Court Judges' Association, and served as a justice pro tem on the Washington Supreme Court.
Records: Civil Rights 6 for, 1 against, Gun Control 1 for, 1 against, Impartiality 2 for, Legal Competence 6 for, 2 against, Public Safety and Crime Control 6 for
Election sources
Source: voter.votewa.gov