Steven Gonzalez elected as next chief justice of state Supreme Court

OLYMPIA (AP) — Justice Steven Gonzalez has been elected as the next chief justice of the Washington state Supreme Court.

Gonzalez was elected by his colleagues on Thursday, according to a news release sent by the court. He will succeed current Chief Justice Debra Stephens, who will continue to serve as a justice on the nine-member court following her reelection this week. Stephens was elected as chief justice last November to serve out the remainder of the term of former Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, who retired from the high court in January to focus on her health following a diagnosis of a third bout of cancer.

According to a court spokeswoman, Stephens did seek the chief justice position, but the court’s vote tally electing Gonzalez is confidential.

The chief justice presides over the court’s public hearings, serves as the administrative head of the state’s judicial branch, and is the court’s main spokesperson.

Gonzalez will start in his new role on Jan. 11. Before joining the Supreme Court in 2012, he was a King County Superior Court judge for 10 years. Prior to that, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Seattle, and a business law attorney in private practice.

“I am honored to be elected by my colleagues and I look forward to working with them and others on the important initiatives and decisions of this Court that touch the lives of everyone in Washington,” said Justice Gonzalez following the election.