State Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, won her challenge to a Voters’ Pamphlet statement submitted by an opponent.

Roach filed a complaint in Thurston County Superior Court claiming the statement filed by fellow Republican Matt Richardson contained false and defamatory information about her.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee ruled Friday that Richardson’s statements were “false and not true.” The judge said the challenger must change his statement in the Voter’s Pamphlet concerning the sanctions leveled against Roach by the Senate’s Republicans.

McPhee also said Richarson’s statements were with “reckless disregard,” and that the statements met the level of “defamation per se” as referenced in the statue but went on to say they met the criteria for the highest standard (Sullivan Standard) of defamation.

Judge McPhee stated that Richardson was asking for different standards to be applied to a challenger than to that of an incumbent. The judge told Richardson that someone running for public office should have a higher standard of truthfulness and that his statements were false.

According to the complaint, submitted June 30, Richardson’s statements about Roach’s sanctions from the Republican Caucus were false.

In his statement, Richardson wrote, “Unfortunately, the permanent sanctions against Pam Roach prevent her from contact with Senate staff, and more critically, from meeting with other Republicans.”

Roach challenged Richardson on three points: First, she stated the sanctions against her were not permanent, but subject to alteration by Roach and the senior leadership; Second, she stated there is no sanction preventing her from working with Senate staff; and third, Roach stated there is no sanction that prevents her with meeting with other Republicans.

In her statement, however, Roach said “I am not allowed access to the Senate Republican caucus staff.”

The remarks stemmed from the Jan. 20 letter from the caucus informing Roach that she had been voted out of the caucus because of “hostile behavior” toward staff.

Richardson and Roach are the two “prefers Republican” candidates in the Aug. 17 31st District senate primary. Also running are Democrats Raymond Bunk and Ron Wiegelt. The top two vote-getters will move on to the general election in November.