Skagit County Superior Court is pleased that the legislature passed and Governor Ferguson signed a bill on March 25, 2026 increasing the number of judges in Skagit County from four to five.

The bill is set to take effect on June 11, 2026. Since this is a new position, Governor Ferguson will accept applications and ultimately appoint a 5th judge from the applicant pool. The governor’s office has posted a notice of judicial vacancy, with applications accepted through August 3, 2026. Once the governor has made an appointment, that individual will take office at the beginning of January 2027. The appointee will also need to file for election for the remainder of the term in May 2027.

Information about the appointment process is available here:

https://governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/Notice%20of%20Vacancy%20-%20Skagit%20County%20%28New%20Seat%29.pdf

Notice of Vacancy - Skagit County (New Seat).pdf