Rachelle Francis is running for Snohomish County District Court Judge, Cascade Division, Position 2 in the Nov. 3 Washington general election.
The race is nonpartisan.
According to the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, which endorsed her candidacy, the Snohomish County Council unanimously appointed Francis to a newly created judicial position in 2023. She holds the seat and is seeking election to retain it, according to the endorsement.
Candidate information
Office sought: Snohomish County District Court Judge, Cascade Division, Position 2
Party: Nonpartisan
Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
Hometown: Stanwood area, Washington, according to the NWPCWA endorsement
Education: Undergraduate degree, University of Washington; J.D., Seattle University, according to the NWPCWA endorsement
Endorsements: Snohomish County Democrats; National Women's Political Caucus of Washington
Experience and public service
Before her appointment to the bench, Francis spent 22 years at the Snohomish County Public Defender Association, where she worked as an attorney and supervising attorney, according to the NWPCWA endorsement. She spent the majority of that career representing individuals who were detained for involuntary commitment related to mental health and substance use issues. In her supervising role, she oversaw other attorneys handling those same involuntary commitment cases.
The NWPCWA endorsement states Francis grew up in the Stanwood area of Washington and worked agriculture jobs as a teenager to help pay for her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington. She later earned her law degree at Seattle University.
Her 22-year career at the Public Defender Association gave her extensive experience in a corner of the legal system that deals directly with people in crisis, according to the endorsement.
On the issues
No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.
The NWPCWA endorsement describes Francis as prioritizing procedural fairness and due process. The endorsement states she strives to ensure the most vulnerable in the community have access to justice.
No additional policy positions or issue statements from Francis were available at the time of publication.
Editor's note: This profile relies on endorsement materials from the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington and the Snohomish County Democrats. No candidate questionnaire responses or direct campaign statements were available at the time of publication. The Port Gardner Gazette will update this profile if additional information becomes available. Voters can find more election information through the Snohomish County Auditor's office.
