WATCH: Clash over union-backed mailers in Washington Supreme Court races

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(The Center Square) - One of the candidates for Washington State Supreme Court is raising concerns about a political action committee that is targeting five candidates for the state's high court.

The homepage for the organization, Beware the Attack on Our Courts, says, “Conservative Forces Organizing to Take Over Our Top Court…with five of our nine state Supreme Court seats on the ballot this year, the danger presented by this right-wing effort to pack our court has never been greater.”

"They have been recruiting and training candidates and have been building donor networks; now, they are gearing up to pour money into these races to elect their chosen few," the website states.

One candidate personally received their materials in the mail.

“I ended up getting one of their mailers myself, so I saw it,” said Position 5 candidate Dave Larson, during a Tuesday morning interview with The Center Square.

Larson is challenging Justice Theo Angelis, who was recently appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson.

Larson penned an open letter raising concerns about the PAC mailer.

"I am committed to voters having more meaningful judicial elections, so I can't stay silent when Washington voters are being misled," Larson wrote.

"As a former judge, I still hold myself to the standard to 'act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary.'"

Public Disclosure Commission filings show the political action committee-Beware the Attack on Our Courts is funded by public employee unions including the Washington Education Association and Service Employees International Union, as well as lawyers.

“When it’s lawyers that agree to abide by the code of professional responsibility that are funding this, there’s a problem,” Larson told The Center Square.

Others targeted in the mailer are Scott Edwards, running against Justice Colleen Melody in Position 1, David Stevens, running against Jaime Hawk in Position 3, Sean O'Donnell, running against Ian Birk in Position 4, and Todd Bloom running against Chief Justice Debra Stephens in Position 7.

The PAC page suggests in the same way Donald Trump and conservative allies have built a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, organizations like Project 42 in Washington are trying to do the same with the Washington State Supreme Court.

The Center Square reached out to SEIU-775 and the Washington Education Association, the two main unions funding Beware the Attack on Our Courts, for comment on this article, but received no response before publication.

The Center Square also reached out to the campaign for Justice Angelis, but did not receive a response.

Project 42 pushes back

“It’s very disheartening that this organization has made so many fraudulent statements. The fact is that Project 42 not has not engaged in electioneering for Dave Larson, or any of the other candidates for the Supreme Court,” said Future 42 Co-Leader and Founder Sally Poliak.

“It’s hypocritical that this group is slamming these five candidates and then claiming that Project 42 is doing the same, which is absolutely not the case,” Poliak told The Center Square. “It’s very disturbing that they are taking this action.”

In the open letter, Larson says the mailer suggests he and the four other candidates would threaten "reproductive freedom, voting rights, worker protections, environmental safeguards and marriage equality."

“That attack treats the courts as one more branch of government that leans left or right. My promise to voters has been simple: I will decide every case based on the Washington State Constitution, our statutes, and precedent, without fear or favor to any side,” wrote Larson is his open letter.

Larson said the personal attacks on judicial candidates by union groups and lawyers is why good people don’t run for office.

“This is an example of why people don’t run for traditional office. There’s a very small group of people that want to decide who’s on the judiciary. If you don’t please them, they will do everything in their power to make sure you’re not the judge, and that’s got to stop,” Larson told The Center Square.

His open letter said the messaging of Beware the Attack on Our Courts is an acknowledgment of their political goal to ensure the courts protect their agenda.

“Their messaging is a clear admission that they have used, or expect to use, the courts as a means to an end that serves their own political agenda. The not-so-subtle message is that the candidates they support will further that agenda and the candidates they oppose will not.”