Karim Merchant

Karim Merchant was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Merchant earned a high school diploma from Interlake High School. Merchant earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 2003. Merchant's career experience includes working as an attorney and small business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve spent my career as an attorney representing real people, facing real-life struggles, and I believe that my unique upbringing, coupled with my 18 years on the front lines of our Justice System, makes me the right candidate, at the right time, to save our great state of Washington.

I was born in Cleveland Ohio to Working Class, immigrant parents as a Shia Ismaili Muslim. My dad migrated here from Pakistan in 1975. My mom was born in Kampala, Uganda and at the age of 15, my mom and her family were forced to flee East Africa to escape the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin.

The United States saved my parents and blessed them with the chance to chase the American dream and I have spent my career paying forward that debt of gratitude.

Even though I was born in Ohio—I’ve lived here in Washington since second grade. Washington is my home—It’s where I found my calling. My kids will grow up here. My parents will grow old here. I have a vested interest in preserving Washington for future generations to come.

If honored by the People to serve on the Supreme Court, I believe I will be the voice of reason that restores constitutional order to our great state and I will bring a level of transparency to the Court unseen in history.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Judicial Restraint as Discipline

For eighteen years, I stood beside working families, veterans, parents, and the accused — never corporations, never the government. That experience taught me one thing above all: judicial restraint isn't weakness, it's discipline. The Constitution is an operating manual, not a suggestion. My job isn't to rewrite the law from the bench — it's to apply it faithfully, respect the separation of powers, and let the people's voice, not mine, decide what the law should be. Washington deserves a Justice who reads the Constitution as binding, not as a starting point for policy preferences.The People's Court

Article I, Section 1 of our Constitution says all political power is inherent in the people. Amendment 7 gave us the right to elect our justices for exactly that reason — accountability. When courts retain jurisdiction over the Legislature indefinitely, as in McCleary, or decide policy questions dressed up as constitutional ones, they turn an elected court into a de facto appointed one. I'm running to restore the balance our founders intended: a judiciary that interprets law, not one that governs from the bench.From the Trench to the Bench

I've spent eighteen years and 50+ jury trials building the record — not just reading it. That's a different kind of preparation for the state's highest court. I bring constitutional literacy grounded in real courtroom stakes, not academic theory, and the lived experience of representing people the system too often overlooks. If elected, I'd be among the first with this background to sit on the Washington Supreme Court — proof that the bench can reflect the people it serves without abandoning fidelity to the law.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My deepest concern is institutional. Washington's Constitution vests distinct powers in three branches for a reason — so that no single branch can govern -- that the people, through their elected representatives, retain ultimate authority over policy. When courts retain jurisdiction over the Legislature, as happened for six years following McCleary, or when a single opinion functionally rewrites tax policy that the people never voted to change, the line between interpreting law and making it gets blurry. I care about that line. Not because I have a preferred outcome on any given case, but because a court that forgets where interpretation ends and legislation begins stops being a check on power and starts being a source of it.

Campaign websiteMerchant's campaign website stated the following:Why I'm RunningI am running for the Washington Supreme Court because I believe deeply in the promise of our Constitution and the role courts play in preserving the freedoms of the People.Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand how government decisions affect ordinary Washingtonians. I have represented working families, small business owners, veterans, parents, and individuals facing the full weight of government power. Those experiences have reinforced a simple truth: constitutional rights matter most when they are tested.The Washington Supreme Court occupies a unique place in our system of government. It is not a legislative body. It is not a political body. Its role is not to decide what policies are best, what outcomes are most popular, or what results judges personally prefer. Its responsibility is to faithfully interpret and apply the Constitution and laws enacted by the People and their elected representatives.That principle may sound simple, but it is one of the most important safeguards of liberty ever devised.Our Constitution begins with a powerful declaration: “All political power is inherent in the people.” Every public official in Washington derives authority from that principle. Legislators, governors, judges, and prosecutors exercise only those powers that the Constitution and laws permit. The judiciary serves a critical role in ensuring those limits are respected.I believe courts must remain independent, impartial, and free from partisan influence. Public confidence in the judiciary depends upon judges who decide cases based upon the law and the facts — not politics, ideology, public pressure, or personal preference.At the same time, judicial independence should never be confused with judicial supremacy. The people of Washington have reserved significant powers for themselves, including the power to elect judges, enact initiatives, approve constitutional amendments, and hold government accountable through the democratic process. Courts should respect those constitutional choices and exercise humility when reviewing the decisions of the People and their representatives.My judicial philosophy begins with a commitment to constitutional fidelity. The Constitution is more than a historical document. It is the operating manual for how government is supposed to function. It establishes the powers of government, protects individual liberties, and provides the framework that allows a free society to govern itself.When courts faithfully enforce constitutional limitations, power remains where it belongs: with the People.I also believe courts must remain vigilant whenever government seeks to expand its authority beyond constitutional limits. Throughout history, many of our most important constitutional decisions have involved courts protecting individual rights against governmental overreach. The judiciary serves an essential role in preserving liberty, ensuring due process, protecting private property, safeguarding free speech, and defending the constitutional guarantees that belong equally to every Washingtonian.As technology advances, society changes, and new legal questions emerge, those foundational principles become even more important. Future courts will confront issues involving artificial intelligence, privacy, free expression, government accountability, and rapidly evolving technologies that could not have been imagined by previous generations. While the facts may change, the judiciary's responsibility remains the same: faithfully apply the Constitution and the rule of law.I am running because I believe Washington deserves a justice who understands both the tremendous power of government and the importance of constitutional limits — a justice who appreciates that courts exist not to govern the people, but to ensure that government remains accountable to them.The Washington Supreme Court belongs to all Washingtonians. If entrusted with the responsibility to serve, I will approach every case with independence, humility, respect for the rule of law, and an unwavering commitment to the constitutional principles that protect the freedoms of the People.— Karim Merchant's campaign website (July 9, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.