Controversial Judge Faces Tough Re-Election Fight

King County Superior Court Judge Jeanette Burrage, a property rights advocate who ran unsuccessfully for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, is facing a tough battle for re-election.

With ballots from 984 of the county’s 2,679 precincts and some absentees counted Tuesday night, Burrage had 30,671 votes, or 41.1 percent, to 29,354, or 39.3 percent, for Doug North and 14,700, or 19.7 percent, for Bill Fligeltaub.

Burrage, 43, a former state legislator and ex-Des Moines City Council member, was elected to complete an unexpired term on the bench with 34 percent of the vote in a four-way race last fall. North, 44, was among the losers.