Judges & courts

King County District Court Judge

Southeast Electoral District, Position 5

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: District court judges hear misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $100,000 in King County.

Candidates Compare by issue

Joshua C. Harris

No party listed

Attorney; Army veteran; business owner

The gist

Pledges to listen carefully and apply the law fairly.
Pledges a courtroom run on respect rather than intimidation.

More about Joshua

View sources (1)

Pledges to listen carefully and apply the law fairly.
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Harris believes judges must listen carefully, apply the law fairly, and treat every person with dignity.”
Pledges a courtroom run on respect rather than intimidation.
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“A courtroom should be defined by respect”

Heather M. Barker

No party listed

King County District Court Judge Pro Tem; attorney

The gist

Pledges to balance accountability with rehabilitation.
Pledges to listen carefully and apply the law fairly.

More about Heather

View sources (2)

Pledges to balance accountability with rehabilitation.
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“She is committed to protecting public safety from the bench by carefully balancing accountability with rehabilitation.”
Pledges to listen carefully and apply the law fairly.
Heather Barker for Judge
Campaign website · Barker for Judge · heatherbarkerforjudge.com
“Our court needs a judge who listens carefully, treats everyone with dignity, and applies the law fairly and thoughtfully.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 1 issue covered in this race.