Edwards leads Melody in early state Supreme Court returns

Scott Edwards held 60,561 votes, or 54.4%, to Justice Colleen Melody's 50,442 votes, or 45.3%, in the race for Washington State Supreme Court Position 1 on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The count stood at 111,331 votes with 5 of 39 reporting units tallied as of 8:08 p.m., according to unofficial results from Washington Secretary of State. Edwards led by 10,119 votes, a margin of 9.1 percentage points.

The count is not complete, and ballots will continue to be tallied in the coming days.

What was at stake

The Washington Supreme Court is the state's highest court. It has the final say on questions of state law, hearing criminal cases, civil lawsuits and challenges to state laws, according to a Yahoo News/MyNorthwest report. The Position 1 race is a special election to fill the remaining two years of retired Justice Mary Yu's term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2028.

Five of the nine-member court's seats appeared on the Nov. 3 ballot, the first time in recent history that a majority of seats have been up at once, according to Fox 13 Seattle. The key issues:

• A pending challenge to the state's new 9.9% tax on annual income above $1 million could come before the court. The Legislature approved the tax in 2026, with the first returns due in 2029, according to Fox 13 Seattle.
• Edwards, a tax attorney, said in a Washington State Standard voter guide that the court's role is "to interpret the law as written, in accordance with the constitution without regard to a justice's political or policy preferences." Melody, a civil rights attorney, said judges "must anticipate and consider the law's impact on everyday people."
• Edwards criticized a pattern of justices retiring early so governors can appoint successors. Melody said courts can address falling public credibility by "scrupulously following the Code of Judicial Conduct."

The outcome will help determine how the court handles tax law, criminal justice and constitutional questions that affect Washington residents.

A little history

Melody joined the court after Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed her to replace Yu, who announced her retirement in September 2025. Melody previously led the Washington Attorney General's Office civil rights division, according to Yahoo News/MyNorthwest. Edwards has spent more than 30 years representing Washington taxpayers and more than 20 years teaching state and local tax law at the University of Washington School of Law, according to the Washington State Standard voter guide. The Seattle Times reported that Edwards helped lead the unsuccessful challenge against the state capital gains tax.

Judicial races in Washington are officially nonpartisan. Democratic Party officials, including Ferguson, endorsed Melody, while the state Republican Party recommended Edwards, the Seattle Times reported.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. County canvassing boards are scheduled to certify results by Nov. 24, and the Secretary of State's deadline to finish the canvass is Dec. 3, according to the state's general election fact sheet. Mail ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 remain eligible to be counted.

Election results: Washington State Supreme Court Justice - Position 1 (Washington General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Washington Secretary of State. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 8:08 p.m. PST. Reporting: 5 of 39. Unofficial results; the count is not complete.