Let's Keep Our First Latina Judge in Office

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Norma Rodriguez to the Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court in February 2022. She assumed office on April 1, 2022. Her current term ends in 2023

"I want the community to know that no matter what race you are, what language you speak, what your economic standing is, or what your background is, I will treat you impartially and with equality." said Rodriguez, "It is important for everyone to have equal rights and access to court law proceedings."

According to a March 9, 2022, KNDU piece by Xochitl Hernandez, Rodriguez is the daughter of migrant farmworkers originally from Texas, has lived in Tri-Cities since the 1970s as a child. Her parents moved here, settling down in Pasco, where they chose to raise Norma and her five other siblings.

"They farmed asparagus, and we were very poor growing up. I think they wanted better for me and my siblings and always encouraged us to go to college," said Rodriguez. 

"At the time, we were one of the first Latino families in Pasco. My graduating class probably had 5 other Latinos," continued Rodriguez, who is a proud graduate of Pasco High School.

Rodriguez graduated from Gonzaga, the first in her family to graduate college, and opened her own law firm in 1994.

Rodriguez has practiced criminal litigation, industry and labor cases, family law, and immigration law.

Judge Rodriguez is running to keep her seat on the bench (Position 4) in the 2022 General Election. She'll be facing George Cicotte -- there's no Primary, since only two candidates are running.

Cicotte practices in the pension and employee benefits field. Cicotte told the Tri-Cities Journal of Business that he was, "deeply concerned about the federal constitutional implications of shutdowns.

"I believe the shutdowns may be infringing on several cherished constitutional rights. Moreover, I am extremely cautious whenever an allegiance to alleged “science” is demanded by a government official, especially when the alleged science conflicts with common sense and logic."

Cicotte told the Tri-Cities Herald, “I feel like I have the skills to do the job well ... my outlook on the issues is more in line with the majority of the Tri-Cities than the judge that Gov. Inslee appointed.”

Cicotte ran against Dan Newhouse in 2014. He finished fifth in the 12-person District 4 primary with 6.4 percent of the vote. He went on to endorse Clint Didier in the General Election. In doing so he said, “the fact that any American would ever consider free contraception to be even on the same scale as the First Freedom in the Bill of Rights –the right to the free exercise of religion – is astounding.”

My "outlook on the issues" is not in line with Cicotte, nor does he have the background, legal training, or experience commensurate with the position he seeks. Judge Rodriguez does. Judge Rodriguez will be a judge for the people, all the people. Now isn't that actually in line with the Constitution?

I'm voting for Norma Rodriguez for Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge, Position 4.