Paul Wohl, a Thurston County District Court commissioner since 2013, is running for District Court Judge Position 3 in the Nov. 3, 2026 Washington general election. The race is nonpartisan.
Wohl practiced law in Thurston, Pierce and King counties for 22 years before the district court judges appointed him court commissioner in August 2013, according to the Thurston County District Court website. His legal career has spanned both prosecution and defense work across Western Washington.
Candidate information
Office sought: Thurston County District Court Judge, Position 3
Election: Nov. 3, 2026, Washington general election
Party: Nonpartisan
Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Washington (1988); J.D., Seattle University (1991)
Current role: Court commissioner, Thurston County District Court (since August 2013)
Community involvement: Wohl teaches "Street Law" at Timberline High School, his alma mater, according to the Thurston County District Court website.
Experience and public service
Before joining the Thurston County District Court bench, Wohl held legal positions on both sides of the courtroom across multiple jurisdictions.
On the defense side, he served as a public defender in King County, according to the court's website. On the prosecution side, he served as a prosecutor for the City of Olympia and as a prosecuting attorney for the City of Federal Way, according to the court's website and BallotReady. He also served as a deputy prosecutor at the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, according to BallotReady.
Wohl also served in the U.S. Army. He held the rank of commissioned officer, according to the court's website.
Beyond the bench, Wohl has been active in judicial and legal professional organizations. He served on the board of directors of the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys and received the group's Outstanding Service award, according to the court's website. He served two terms on the Board of Judicial Administration's Public Trust and Confidence Committee. He serves as legislative chair for the District and Municipal Court Judges' Association, a statewide organization representing district and municipal court judges.
Endorsements
Wohl's campaign website lists endorsements from judges across multiple levels of Washington's court system, including a state Supreme Court justice and a Court of Appeals judge:
- Justice G. Helen Whitener, Washington State Supreme Court
- Judge Tam Bui, Division I, Court of Appeals
- Judge Christine Schaller, Thurston County Superior Court
- Judge John Skinder, Thurston County Superior Court
- Judge Christopher Lanese, Thurston County Superior Court
- Judge Allyson Zipp, Thurston County Superior Court
- Judge Carol Murphy, Thurston County Superior Court
- Judge M. Brett Buckley, Thurston County District Court
- Judge Kalo Wilcox, Thurston County District Court
- Judge Sam Meyer, Thurston County District Court
The Capitol Record did not receive a candidate questionnaire response from Paul Wohl. Other candidates in this race were not identified in available election data. Voters can find more information on the Thurston County Auditor's website.
