For the Reporter

John M. Torres, Jr., an Auburn-area attorney, has announced he is running for King County District Court judge, Position 5, Southeast Division.

Judge Richard Bathum holds the position on the court.

The general election is Nov. 4. A primary, if needed, will be Aug. 5.

Torres, a judge pro tem for King County District Court, has previously presided over a multitude of calendars for the Tacoma and Auburn municipal courts.

“My message is simple: let the voters decide,” Torres said. “Over the last six months I have asked hundreds of lay people and attorneys if they know how their judges in district court are chosen. The vast majority do not.

“Attorneys have an affirmative duty to manifest justice in our system. Democracy is being won to this day in other countries, sometimes on the blood of our fellow Americans,” he said. “Our right to vote is a cherished right, one I take seriously. Voting is muted, if no one runs, or if appointments become anointments. To make voting meaningful means having quality candidates. I will bring great energy with my message to voters that their vote matters.”

Torres’ campaign committee says it believes that, if elected, he will become the first Latino judge elected or appointed to a district court in Washington.

“I have heard that,” Torres said, “and if true, I wouldn’t be surprised that Auburn would take a leadership role in that historical event. Auburn has always taken a lead in international and cultural inclusion.”

Torres is licensed in the State of Washington, the U.S. Federal District Court – Western Division of Washington, and was advised on Feb. 24 that he had been admitted to practice into the U.S. Supreme Court. He has a JD from the University of Washington School of Law, and an MBA and BSBA from City University of Seattle. He is a principle faculty at City University in its Graduate School of Business. He is a U.S. Navy veteran, having deployed on the USS Nimitz and Teddy Roosevelt.