Can you name the three sitting Washington State Supreme Court justices seeking re-election in the Sept. 19 primary election? How about just one of them?

Don't feel bad if you can't. Only a tiny percentage of residents know who are the members of the state Supreme Court. That is a huge argument for doing away with elections of judges in favor of another way to validate judges.

The problem, especially this year and certain to be a growing on, is crass intervention on a base political level by outside organizations with lots of money to spend to buy their own way.

This year it is the Building Industry Association of Washington, a rich, right-wing group headquartered in Olympia. It is pouring its undeniable clout and a ton of cash into the three jucicial races.

Here is its rational, in brief, from the association website:

"The Washington Supreme Court is rewriting history and eviscerating property rights. We have the opportunity this year to change the course of our Court by electing justices who will respect and abide by the state and federal Constitutions. Three Justices are up for election this year - Susan Owens, Gerry Alexander and Tom Chambers - and there will be formidable challengers who will better uphold our constitutionally protected property rights and halt government abuses of power."

Formidable challengers of its own choosing. There is no objective rationale for the attack on these justices, but the Building Industry Association has the right to take whatever stand it wants.

The problem is the voters are vague or uninterested in judicial racesm which means the Association and others who simply want judges who will do their bidding can swamp the radio and television airwaves just before the election and leave the names of their hand-picked candidates lodged in the minds of voters.

Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, at the request of the Herald, came to our offices a few week ago and noted that he had served on three levels of courts. He was a superior court judge, an appeals court judge and since 1994 on the Washington Supreme Court. He is an honorable man seeking his final term. His opponent is a lawyer who has never made a judicial decision. Undoubedly an honorable man, but he should not get on-the-job training on the highest court in the state.

We unhesitatingly endorse Chief Justice Alexander for another six years on the court.

We extend that endorsement to Susan Owens, whose primary opponent is a politician also with no judicial experience. Owens has been a Superior Court judge and a district court judge.

The third justice seeking to remain on the Supreme Court is Tom Chambers, seeking his second term. His opponent is a woman who once ordered women lawyers in her Superior Court to wear dresses. Chambers gets our nod.

This is one job where experience matters a lot.

We should consider whether we should elect judges, but rather let a nonpartisan board select judges, perhaps have them confirmed by the Legislature as Congress does for federal judges.

But letting a right-wing and often irrational association shove its candidates down our collective throats seems the antithisis of what this country stands for.

We endorse and support Gerry Alexander, Susan Owens and Tom Chambers.