‘Lobbing political grenades is a distraction’: King County judge fires back after opponent demands he disavow GOP support

King County Superior Court Judge Sean Patrick O’Donnell defended himself against accusations of partisanship in his race for Washington State Supreme Court Position 4 against Court of Appeals Judge Ian Birk. Sixty-two judges signed a letter supporting O’Donnell, and he argued that demanding he disavow Republican support would itself violate judicial impartiality standards. The general election is November 3, 2026.