EVERETT — The race for an open seat on the Snohomish County Superior Court bench is expected to be over once the primary ballots are counted.
Tuesday night’s results released by the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office showed Millie Judge leading with 52.7 percent of the vote over Jack Follis, who had 46.8 percent.
The seat opened up after Judge Larry McKeeman announced his plans to retire after more than 20 years on the bench. McKeeman served his final day last week. He is the sixth Superior Court judge to retire since 2009.
The race pitted Judge, an experienced campaigner who is already serving as an elected fire commissioner for Fire District 1, against Follis, a political newcomer.
Both candidates believed their professional experience gave them the edge over their opponent.
Judge serves as the county’s hearing examiner. She said her experience being a decision-maker and running a courtroom qualified her to take a seat on the Superior Court. Follis is a veteran civil trial attorney with Everett’s Anderson Hunter Law Firm. He said his years of courtroom experience gave him the advantage over Judge.
Unlike the majority of Tuesday’s races, the run for judge was expected to be settled in the primary. The job pays $148,832 a year.
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