Litigation

As WA Votes are Counted, Nasty Campaign Talk

By Peter Hardin

It’s almost neck and neck as the votes are counted in a close contest for a seat on the Washington Supreme Court. And at least one side is using fiery language about the other.

The campaign of incumbent Justice Richard Sanders wrote an email about challenger Charlie Wiggins, a Bainbridge Island attorney, headlined “Don’t Let Wiggins Steal this Election,” according to an Associated Press article.

The message sought donations for an effort to get more supportive votes added to Justice Sanders’ total, through such means as locating voters whose ballots had been rejected for various problems.

The AP reported, “Wiggins called that statement reckless, and Sanders said he hadn’t authorized such strong language.”

Wrote scholar Rick Hasen in his Election Law blog, “That’s the first time I know of that a judicial candidate’s campaign (though perhaps not the Justice himself) has used such inflammatory language in a close judicial election.”

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 09, 2010 (boomark / email).