‘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 is running for Washington State Supreme Court Position 4 against Court of Appeals Judge Ian Birk in the November 3, 2026 general election. The race has become contentious over accusations of partisanship; O’Donnell rejected demands to disavow Republican support, calling such demands a distraction from comparing judicial records. Sixty-two judges signed a letter defending O’Donnell against what they call partisan attacks by Birk.