Bruce Danielson, a little-known Seattle lawyer, didn't campaign a lick in his failed effort to unseat Washington Supreme Court Justice Steve Gonzalez. He raised no money, met with no editorial boards and attended no candidate forums.

And yet, more than 315,000 people voted for him in Tuesday's primary. He won 30 of the state's 39 counties, taking 42 percent of the vote, even though Gonzalez was deemed vastly more qualified and endorsed by both major candidates for governor, Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna.

How did Danielson perform so well? In a two-candidate race that received little media attention and featured no statewide voter pamphlet, he didn't need anything more than his name.

University of Washington political science professor Matt Barreto says that a candidate's name and race can factor in when voters have limited information. In this case, he says it appears a subtle anti-Hispanic bias was at work.

---

Online: www.votingforjudges.com

Judicial election results: http://is.gd/o8qA3l

---

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle