Racial Polarization Found in Washington Supreme Court Election

October 1, 2012

An analysis of voting in a supreme court primary election suggests “deep racial polarization.” In the race between incumbent justice Steve Gonzalez and a challenger who neither raised money nor campaigned, the challenger won 30 of 39 counties and nearly 40 percent of the statewide vote. In one county, the gap between Latino and non-Latino support for Gonzalez was 43 points.