OLYMPIA — The Association of Washington Business announces its endorsement of incumbent Justice Charles Johnson in his re-election bid to the Washington State Supreme Court.
“We put Justice Johnson’s record through a high level of scrutiny,” AWB General Counsel Kris Tefft said. Tefft directs AWB’s practice before the Supreme Court and its legal affairs program. “Although we’ve disagreed with him occasionally on the law, his record shows us that Justice Johnson is a fair and impartial jurist who does not come to the bench with an agenda. We believe we can get a fair shake in front of him and that is the hallmark of a good judge.”
“In several issues of major interest to the business community, AWB agreed with the opinions of Justice Johnson more often than not,” according to Mike Bernard, president of Madison Cooke, a Bellevue-based tax consulting firm, who chaired this year’s endorsement process. “Over his career,” noted Bernard, “Justice Johnson has been an asset to the state judiciary, and we are pleased to support his bid for another term.” Johnson, an 18-year veteran of the high court, has so far remained unopposed.
AWB voted not to take a position in the other two Supreme Court races this fall, which so far involve the uncontested retention of recently-appointed Justice Debra Stephens and a race between incumbent Justice Mary Fairhurst and Seattle attorney Michael Bond.
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AWB is Washington's oldest and largest statewide business association. Formed in 1904, its 6,600 members employ more than 650,000 workers. AWB also acts as the state's chamber of commerce and the umbrella organization for more than 125 trade and professional organizations. While AWB's membership includes the state’s major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, more than 85 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people, and one-third of our members hire fewer than 10.
