Frazier endorses Hart for district court judge

Retired Whitman County Superior Court Judge David Frazier has endorsed John Hart to be the next district court judge.

Frazier concluded a 34-year stint as a judge at the start of 2017 when he administered the oath of office to Judge Gary Libey.

He served on the district court bench before beginning service on the superior court bench.

Hart finished with more than 43 percent of the vote in the Aug. 7 state primary to top the three-way race and will face Robert Rembert, who finished with 29.6 percent.

Dan LeBeau finished with 27.2 percent of the vote and was eliminated from the race.

Citing his 34 years on the district court and superior court benches, Frazier in his endorsement said Hart was the "best candidate to serve as our next district court judge.” He noted Hart's service as a public defender in district and superior courts over the last 15 years and his service as judge for Colfax municipal court for the last six years.

Hart before the primary election was also endorsed by District Court Judge Doug Robinson, who is retiring at the end of the year. Judge Robinson has pointed to Hart's service as judge pro-tem in the district court as a key reason for his endorsement.