Washington › Pierce County › Pierce County District Court, Judge Position No. 7
3 candidates are tracked for Pierce County District Court, Judge Position No. 7 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Eric J. Lawless, Mike Sommerfeld and Pam Nogueira. Candidate information follows official Pierce County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Nonpartisan countywide judicial seat with three filers, so it prints on the August 4 ballot and the top two advance to November 3, per Pierce County's sample ballot. The Southeast Electoral District positions on the certified filing list each drew two or fewer filers and are not on the August ballot.
An assistant attorney general for Washington state handling workers' compensation, workplace safety and apprenticeship matters, per his campaign site. He also sits as a judge pro tempore in the Kitsap County and Mason County district courts, per the same site, and runs on a theme of experience, integrity and fairness.
2026 priorities
- Applying the law fairly and impartially, per his campaign site
- Treating everyone who comes before the court with dignity, per his campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-07-31.
Campaign site →
A deputy prosecuting attorney in the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 1995 who leads the civil division's government operations and litigation team, per his campaign site. He serves as legal adviser to Pierce County District Court and Juvenile Court and has sat as a judge pro tem in Thurston County District Court, per the same site, and his prosecuting work has covered homicide, trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and driving under the influence cases.
2026 priorities
- Promoting public trust in the courts, per his questionnaire to the 31st District Democrats
- Improving access to justice by removing language barriers and addressing disability access, per the same questionnaire
- Expanding approaches focused on rehabilitation and treatment in substance use and mental health cases, per the same questionnaire
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-07-31.
Campaign site →
An attorney at the Tacoma firm McGavick Graves who serves as a judge pro tem and has previously served as a municipal court judge and a superior court commissioner, per her questionnaire to the 31st District Democrats. She reports about 11 years of legal experience, per her campaign site, and argues district court is where many people have their first and most direct contact with the justice system.
2026 priorities
- Fairness, integrity and transparency on the bench, per her campaign site
- Public trust, so every person feels heard and treated with dignity, per her questionnaire to the 31st District Democrats
- Access to justice through clearer communication, language services and efficient procedures, per the same questionnaire
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-07-31.
Campaign site →
