Just 13 votes separate two candidates running for Superior Court judge in Tri-Cities

The race to replace an embattled former Superior Court judge was hanging in the balance by just 13 votes on Tuesday night.

Court Commissioner Bronson Brown had a sliver of a lead with 49.8%, or 36,254 votes, and Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant had 49.79%, or 36,241 votes.

Brown said he felt happy the campaign is over, but a bit nervous about the narrow lead. His campaign is hopeful that the 30,000 votes still left to count in Benton County will add to his lead.

The feedback that he received from potential voters seemed positive and he hoped for good news as more votes are counted.

“I appreciated the way that Shawn ran his campaign,” he said. “I think we kept it really positive between us.”

Sant told the Herald that he expected it to be a close race since both attorneys had a lot of name recognition in the community.

“I didn’t think we would have a clear winner tonight,” he said. “I left at 6 p.m. There were still a lot of people in the courthouse voting. ... We have a lot of ballots still left to count. “

The two longtime attorneys were looking to fill the spot left by former Judge Sam Swanberg, who left the bench ahead of a hearing by the Washington state Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The commission ruled he should be barred from holding a position as a judge because of his alleged abuse of his ex-wife and harassment of an ex-girlfriend.

The person elected to the nonpartisan position will serve for four years and be paid $228,000 a year.

This was the second attempt for both men to earn a seat at the seven-member panel of Superior Court judges who handle cases in both Benton and Franklin counties.

Both men also ran in 2020 to replace Judge Bruce Spanner after his retirement. They were knocked out the six-person primary race. Judge Dave Petersen ultimately won.

After Brown was defeated, he pursued a position as a Benton County court commissioner and also became a Franklin County judge pro-tem.

“So the last two years, I’m doing the job,” he told the Tri-City Herald Editorial Board. “Being on the bench is a little different. As a prosecutor, you’re seeking justice. As a defense attorney, you’re being an advocate for your client. As a judge, you’re being a fair and impartial adjudicator and making sure people’s constitutional rights are safeguarded and the rules are being followed.

In his 21 years as an attorney, he’s served as the general counsel for the Kennewick School District and other government agencies and as a Benton County District Court public defender.

A number of Tri-City legal luminaries lined up to back his campaign, including all the current Superior Court judges, most of the Benton County District Court judges and court commissioners.

Sant has been Franklin County’s elected prosecutor for 14 years and serves in the U.S. Army Reserves judiciary and legal system. He’s also served as a public defender and a deputy prosecutor in his 20 years of practicing law.

His role as a prosecutor has required him to help argue thousands of cases, weigh evidence and determine whether a charge is supported by the law.

This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 8:56 PM.