Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis plans not to seek re-election at the end of her term this year.
SEATTLE — Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis announced this week that she will not seek reelection in 2026, confirming she will complete her current term and step down at the end of the year.
Montoya-Lewis, 57, informed colleagues Thursday that she plans to serve through Dec. 31, 2026, when her six-year term expires. She was first appointed to the state’s highest court by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2020 and later won a full term that same year.
“It has been an honor to serve Washington state as a state Supreme Court justice,” Montoya-Lewis said in a statement. “I am excited for the coming year on the court and then continuing my career answering the call to do justice, a call I have followed throughout my career.”
A historic tenure on the court
Montoya-Lewis made history in Washington and nationally during her time on the bench. A member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of Laguna, both federally recognized tribes in New Mexico, she became the first Native American justice on the Washington Supreme Court and only the second Native American to serve on any state supreme court in the United States.
After winning a contested statewide election in 2020, she also became the first Native American to win statewide office in Washington. She is also of Jewish descent.
Montoya-Lewis currently holds Position 3 on the court. Washington Supreme Court justices are elected to staggered six-year terms, with positions rotating on the ballot.
Judicial and academic background
Before joining the Supreme Court, Montoya-Lewis served five years as a Whatcom County Superior Court judge, where she presided over criminal and civil cases and oversaw the county’s Therapeutic Drug Court.
Earlier in her career, she spent 15 years as a tribal court judge for multiple tribes in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest, building a national reputation for her work in child welfare, family law, and domestic violence cases involving tribal communities.
In addition to her judicial service, Montoya-Lewis was a tenured associate professor at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College. She has continued teaching judges, lawyers, social workers, and advocates on issues including judicial bias, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and best practices in child welfare and domestic violence proceedings.
What comes next
Montoya-Lewis said she does not plan to retire after leaving the court. Instead, she intends to focus on writing, teaching, and mentoring, as well as broader efforts aimed at advancing equity in the legal system.
“I look forward to writing books, teaching and mentoring law students, lawyers and judges, and building and learning new ways to create a more equitable world,” she said.
Her decision not to seek reelection sets the stage for an open race for Position 3 in 2026, ensuring that the makeup of the Washington Supreme Court will be on the ballot during the next statewide election cycle.
Stay tuned to PNW Daily for relevant news as the legislative term continues and the election year news such as this is announced.
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