Spokane County

Sen. Patty Murray has been a consistent and strong progressive voice in the U.S. Senate. She's seeking re-election to continue fighting for our basic rights and a better quality of life in Washington and beyond.

Murray was first elected in 1992 and has been a champion for veterans, working families, women, and economic opportunities for all. Before her tenure in the Senate, Murray worked as a preschool teacher, on the Shoreline School Board, and in the Washington state Senate.

During her time in Congress, Sen. Murray has worked hard to keep our communities safe from gun violence, protect abortion access at the federal level so that everyone has reproductive freedom, and expand access to affordable childcare. This year, she voted in support of the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and a slate of other progressive bills that invest in working communities so that our country is a place where everyone can thrive. Murray has earned an impressive and diverse coalition of endorsements from local and national organizations, elected leaders, and unions.

Sen. Murray faces Tiffany Smiley, a triage nurse running on a MAGA Republican platform. Smiley has never held public office but she previously worked on Capitol Hill. Her Trump-inspired agenda aims to divide us while she seeks to cut funding from our most essential services and repurpose it for a needless border wall and more militarized police forces. Working Washingtonians need real solutions so that we can access the basics like gas, groceries, rent, and prescription medicine – not MAGA rhetoric and tax breaks for the wealthy.

Sen. Patty Murray is a national leader on many of the most important issues facing our country. She has earned your vote for re-election.

Natasha Hill is running for Congress to be a progressive advocate for everyone in the 5th District, not just the wealthy few. She grew up in Spokane utilizing community resources like SNAP and later experienced homelessness and food insecurity while pursuing her law degree. Now Hill wants to ensure that no one should have to struggle through poverty to get an education in America. Hill currently owns her own law practice and has also served as an adjunct law professor and a member of the Spokane County Redistricting Committee.

Hill is running to focus on addressing the disparities between working people, seniors, and families and the extraordinarily wealthy corporations that have dominated politics and the economy for decades. Hill wants to make the child tax credit permanent, expand rural health care options, and raise the minimum wage so that any American can meet their basic needs on forty hours of work a week. She also wants to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and overturn obstacles to the vote for youth and people of color. In our Spokane committee's interview with Hill, she expressed strong support for strengthening unions, codifying the right to abortion, and reimagining education, health care, and the criminal legal system.

Hill is challenging Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is running for re-election to the office she has held since 2005. With a 95 percent record of voting with Trump during his presidency, McMorris Rodgers is one of the most damaging lawmakers in Washington. She voted yes on Trump's border wall, supported his trillion-dollar corporate tax cut, and was the only representative from Washington to vote for Trump's bill to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. She voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and has refused on multiple occasions to hold town halls to answer to her constituents for her votes. McMorris Rodgers also voted against extending benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic pit burns, questioned the FBI's search for Trump's unsecured and critically classified documents, and stated that she believes the 2020 election had "significant irregularities," despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.

McMorris Rodgers has consistently stood in the way of abortion rights, including attempting to defund Planned Parenthood and its many services to the community. In an early September, she accused Democrats of fearmongering about a national abortion ban; two weeks later her colleague Lindsey Graham introduced one in Congress.

The district needs progressive representation to make meaningful advances in the lives of people here and across the country. For her bold platform in this time of crisis and widening inequity, as well as her broader organizational support, we recommend Natasha Hill for U.S. Representative of the 5th Congressional District.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running as an independent to bring a non-partisan voice to the secretary of state's office. Anderson served on the Tacoma City Council before running for county auditor in 2009 and winning re-election three times. As Pierce County auditor, which is a nonpartisan position, she has administered dozens of elections while also overseeing licensing and public record-keeping.

Anderson is running because she believes political parties shouldn't be involved in running elections they are simultaneously trying to win. Her campaign priorities include supporting more local races becoming non-partisan, increasing access to voting and election information, and improving election security. She wants to translate the voters' pamphlet into 10 languages, going beyond what is mandated by the Voting Rights Act. She also wants to conduct risk-limiting audits in all 39 Washington counties and "pre-bunk" rumors to increase confidence in our state's election systems.

During our interview, Anderson expressed support for ranked choice voting because she believes it will allow candidates to break through our two-party political system. This is one of the biggest points of difference between Anderson and Hobbs.

Anderson offers voters an experienced option if they are looking for a nonpartisan administrator to manage our state's elections and support ranked choice voting.

Rep. Marcus Riccelli is running for re-election to Position 1 in the 3rd Legislative District. Prior to joining the House in 2013, Riccelli worked as a senior policy aide to state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown. Outside of the Legislature, he also works as the project manager for the Community Health Association of Spokane and as an advisory board member for the Northside YMCA.

In Olympia, Riccelli has sponsored key progressive legislation such as bills this session to ensure that all Washingtonians pay their share of taxes and to create more affordable housing options. Recently, he worked to pass the historic Move Ahead Washington transportation package that will benefit transit infrastructure, working families, and the environment.

Early in the pandemic, Riccelli spearheaded the efforts of the Spokane Food Fighters in donating hundreds of meals to those in need. In the Legislature, Riccelli also sponsored the Hunger-Free Schools Act, which provides a bridge of federal funding for free breakfast to schools where nearly half of students' families are using public assistance.

Challenging Riccelli is Republican Scotty Nicol, a musician and former assistant to Spokane mayor Nadine Woodward. Nicol is running on a vague, bullet-point agenda that includes standard Republican talking points from Olympia. His promise to help businesses echoes current Republican legislators' efforts to remove environmental regulations and deny workers a fair return on their work. Similarly, his blanket promise of lowering taxes doesn't address the state's regressive tax code - specifically, that the wealthy have avoided paying their share into quality schools, roads, healthcare, and other resources we all use.

At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, we can't afford another Republican candidate who caters to businesses and refuses to address the needs of working people. Rep. Riccelli has worked hard during his time in the Legislature to advocate for community-centered legislation and progressive values. Riccelli has earned your vote for state House.

Incumbent Democrat Rep. Timm Ormsby is running for re-election to Position 2 in the 3rd Legislative District. He was first elected to the seat in 2003 and has worked on a wide range of progressive issues during his tenure in office. Outside of the Legislature, Ormsby is the president of the Spokane Regional Labor Council and has worked for a number of labor organizations.

In the House, Ormsby's policy goals include taking action on climate change that supports job growth and sustainable community development. Recently, he supported legislation to keep our communities safe from high-capacity firearms, as well as a bill to ensure cities and counties include affordable housing in their growth plans.

Ormsby is running against Republican Natalie Poulson, a special education teacher who was one of a handful of Finch Elementary School teachers and administrators who refused to wear masks in class last year. Poulson is a Trump Republican who would promote misinformation in our schools, support militarized police forces in our communities, and offer tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy while working families continue to struggle to pay rent, afford medicine, and put food on the table.

Rep. Ormsby has been a strong progressive leader and he deserves your vote for re-election to the 3rd Legislative District in House Position 2.

Union leader and Democrat Ted Cummings is running for the 4th Legislative District, Position 1. In 2018, Cummings challenged far-right extremist Matt Shea for a seat in the state House. He works as the financial secretary for the Union Steel Workers Local 338 and serves as the vice president of the Washington State Labor Council as well as a board member for his regional labor council.

If elected, Cummings wants to use his professional background as a factory laborer to advocate for workers’ rights and prioritize people over corporations. He wants to address mass incarceration at its root by investing in community needs like health care, housing, quality education, and living-wage jobs so that all Washingtonians have the resources to thrive.

Cummings is running against Republican Suzanne Schmidt, the President of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inland Pacific Chapter and a board member of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. While working families in Washington are struggling to afford the basics, Schmidt is running on a very conservative platform that ignores what our communities really need. Instead of supporting policies to ensure everyone has fair wages, great schools, and affordable healthcare, she supports sending ever more militarized police into our neighborhoods and rigging the rules so corporations don’t have to pitch in what they owe.

We recommend Ted Cummings for House Position 1 in the 4th Legislative District because of his commitment to bringing our communities together and providing all Washingtonians with the opportunities to thrive.

There are no progressive choices in this race. Republican Leonard Christian is challenging incumbent extremist Rep. Rob Chase to represent the 4th Legislative District in Position 2 with a more moderate platform. Christian is a realtor and former representative. He first joined the state House in 2014 when he was appointed to fill the remainder of Larry Crouse’s term, though he was not elected to retain the seat.

Christian sets himself apart from Chase in a number of his policy priorities. He acknowledges that Biden won the 2020 presidential election and refuses to join those in his party who seek to overturn the will of the people and reinstall Donald Trump. Christian is also more open than other conservatives to progress on gun violence prevention and understands his responsibility to represent those with different faiths and political leanings than his own. Unfortunately, like other Republicans, he still wants to cut funding from community investments that support our schools, parks, roads, and the public services that help community members access the basics.

Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Chase is running for his second term in the Legislature. He has shown interest in QAnon and other far-right conspiracy theories. In office, he promoted a MAGA Republican agenda, including opposing basic mask guidelines in schools and loudly criticizing vaccine verifications. This session, he opposed a bill to prohibit the sale of high-capacity firearm magazines and voted against legislation to set new state climate goals. The former Spokane County treasurer is running once again, this time with a far-right platform that seeks to divide us, divest from community support, and stoke fear through extremist conspiracy thinking.

In this race with only conservative choices, Leonard Christian is a better choice to bring more open-minded and accountable leadership to the 4th Legislative District.

Democrat Michaela Kelso is running for House Position 2 in the 6th Legislative District. She is an Army veteran of 23 years who wants to usher in progressive reforms that would make life more affordable for working people by focusing on state finances, health care, and education. Kelso believes that the current upside-down tax code, which favors the extremely wealthy over middle- and low-income families, need to be changed.

If elected she would support a wealth tax on the state's billionaires to finally have them pay their share for the resources we all use. As an immigrant from Germany, she also supports several kinds of improvements for our immigrant neighbors, including establishing dedicated community centers and allowing them to access unemployment insurance, which many immigrants already pay for but can not use. Kelso also supports science-based education without religious interference, encouraging multi-family housing and more affordable housing options, and funding community-wide recovery and addiction services for those who are struggling with drug use.

Her opponent is incumbent Rep. Jenny Graham, a Trump Republican running for her third term representing the 6th Legislative District. She is a professional cosmetologist and esthetician and has worked as a martial arts and skiing instructor. In 2020, Graham threatened a journalist who reported on her spreading QAnon-related conspiracies, including a video claiming that Democrats are “possessed by demons” and promoting false information about vaccines. She voted against a slate of progressive bills in the Legislature this session including commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence in our communities and a bill to set new carbon reduction goals for the state.

Residents of the 6th Legislative District deserve a representative who follows the science and puts community needs before personal ideology. Vote Kelso for Position 2 in the 6th Legislative District.

Chris Jordan is a managing attorney in the Spokane division of the state attorney general’s office and is now running for Spokane County Commission in District 1. Jordan specializes in child safety cases as an attorney and worked with Columbia Legal Services to pass bipartisan legislation to support children and families experiencing housing insecurity. His other community leadership experience includes volunteering with Spokane River Cleanup and West Central Dinner Table.

Jordan is running on a platform to invest in child care, strengthen the county’s middle class, alleviate traffic congestion in the region, and take action on the climate crisis to safeguard the local environment for generations to come. By expanding access to the basics like rent, groceries, gas, and prescription medications, he will work to make the county a place where everyone can build a healthy life.

Jordan is running against Republican Kim Plese. She previously owned a small business that offered printing and marketing services. She is running for commissioner on a conservative platform that disregards much-needed community investments in health care, housing, and schools in favor of putting more funding towards larger, militarized police forces.

Chris Jordan is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for Spokane County Commissioner, District 1.

Amber Waldref is running for Spokane County commissioner in District 2 to make the county a place where everyone can thrive. She served on the Spokane City Council for two terms and founded Priority Spokane, a data-driven organization that aims to increase local high school graduation rates and decrease family homelessness. She also currently serves on the Spokane Housing Authority board and the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force.

While on the city council, Waldref was a leader on several important issues, including boosts for small businesses, working to clean up the Spokane River, and the ballot campaign to create the new all-electric rapid transit City Line. The former councilwoman now wants to bring that energy to the county level to protect the environment, empower youth, collaborate regionally on homelessness, and more.

She differs from her conservative opponent in her proactive approach to safety, stating that a new jail is both incredibly expensive to the community and doesn't necessarily reduce crime in any way. Waldref would prefer to see innovative community programming to reduce crime and invest in kids and adults. She points to programs like the Carl Maxey Center and the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center as two ways to address racial disparities in the legal system and keep our communities safe.

Waldref is running against Michael Cathcart, who has served on the Spokane City Council since 2020. Previously, he was an aide for the very conservative Republican Sen. Michael Baumgartner, who voters may remember for his anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion stances. As former executive director of the pro-business Better Spokane, Cathcart's campaign coffers and agenda are flooded with big developer money. He takes a conservative and hypocritical stance on issues like the possibility of a new jail, stating that "jail is going to make you a better criminal" but also advocating for building an expensive new one.

Waldref is experienced and ready for the challenge of bringing progressive leadership to the commission. Vote Waldref for Spokane County Commission, District 2.

Vicky Dalton is seeking re-election to remain the Spokane County auditor, a role she has served in for more than 20 years. She oversees election integrity and voter protection, recording and vehicle licensing processing, and county financial services.

Since assuming the position in 1999, Dalton has proven her commitment to transparency, integrity, accountability, and efficiency in office. She has exceptional credentials, leading the state on a number of auditing commissions and committees. She also serves the community as a member of the Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners board.

Dalton faces a challenge from MAGA Republican Bob McCaslin. He is a state representative for the 4th Legislative District and is retiring from the Legislature to run for the auditor seat. McCaslin’s campaign platform is full of conservative rhetoric and shares his intention to cut community investments if elected. In 2020, McCaslin joined Trump-aligned extremists casting doubt over the election results. He supported a petition to audit the results in Spokane County, which demonstrated a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities of an auditor. While in the Legislature, McCaslin frequently partnered with disgraced former Rep. Matt Shea on legislation.

In a time of rampant right-wing lies about election fraud, we need consistent, proven leaders like Vicky Dalton to protect our elections and uphold voter rights. She has earned your trust and your vote for Spokane County auditor.

Pastor and former Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney Deb Conklin is running for Spokane County prosecutor. Conklin also formerly chaired the Spokane Office of the Police Ombudsman Commission.

If elected, one of Conklin’s priorities will be to make sure that the prosecuting attorney's office is not overcharging people in our community. She correctly points out that this leads to further crowding in jails and prisons, costs more, and makes our system less just. She wants to restore integrity and transparency to the office after some controversies in its recent history, including questions about current prosecutor Larry Haskell’s potential racial bias.

Her opponent is incumbent Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell, who is running for a third term. Haskell previously served on the Airway Heights City Council and the Cheney School Board. If re-elected, Haskell wants to continue to push his extremist ideologies and use the office to put pressure on the Legislature to increase law enforcement budgets in order to send militarized police forces into our neighborhoods. This year, Haskell’s wife was exposed as having used multiple racial slurs on social media and identified herself as a “proud white nationalist” – beliefs that Haskell minimized and have no place in our communities, especially not in our legal system. Haskell and Spokane City Councilmember Mike Fagan were also spotted at an extremist fundraiser for theocratic secessionists. To make matters worse, multiple legal experts professionals have publicly spoken out against his policies while in office, including the reduction in referrals to therapeutic courts, his lobbying for the removal of the words "racial equity" from criminal legal reform goals, and his resistance to citizen oversight of the criminal legal system. 

In this race with no progressive candidate, we recommend Deb Conklin for Spokane County prosecuting attorney because of her support from our partner organizations and her focus on preventative solutions to community safety.

Two Republicans are running for Spokane County Sheriff to replace the outgoing conservative Ozzie Knezovich, who is retiring after 16 years in office. Though both are Republicans, Wade Nelson is running on a platform of change while his opponent John Nowels represents more of the same right-wing leadership as the last sheriff.

Wade Nelson has worked in the county sheriff’s office for more than 20 years and previously served in the Navy. Nelson sets himself apart from Nowels with his clear vision of change that includes transparency, accountability, and community collaboration. Unfortunately, he is running on a typical Republican platform to focus on “band-aid” policing solutions rather than long-term community safety that invests in prevention and treatment.

John Nowels has worked in the county sheriff’s office for 24 years and was promoted to undersheriff in 2019. He was mentored by Knezovich and wants to continue his approach, which is characterized by harsh treatment of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, a lack of community supports for those of us struggling the most, and high staff turnover and low office morale.

In a race with no ideal options, Wade Nelson is the better choice in this race to bring change to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Justice Mary Yu is running unopposed to continue serving on the state Supreme Court. Yu was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2014, elected by voters to the seat later that year, and re-elected in 2016. Before joining Washington’s highest court, she spent 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court and earlier as the deputy chief of staff to former King County prosecutor Norm Maleng.

Yu has an unimpeachable reputation and has been rated “exceptionally well qualified” by a number of key bar associations. On the court, she has been a voice for equal justice and upholding the rights of all. Now, she is running with endorsements from all of her fellow justices as well as a number of retired justices from the court.

Justice Yu deserves your vote to continue serving as one of Washington’s state Supreme Court justices.

Justice Barbara Madsen has served on the state Supreme Court for 30 years and is running unopposed for re-election this year. She was only the third woman to serve on the court when she was first elected in 1992. During her time on the court, her fellow justices elected her the 55th chief justice of the court – a position she held for 7 years.

Having spent her career in both prosecution and public defense, Madsen has extensive knowledge of the criminal legal system and a passion for serving her community. Her re-election has been endorsed by each of her fellow justices and a wide range of other judicial leaders and community organizations.

Justice Madsen has served the state with fair and equal justice. She deserves your vote to remain in her seat on Washington’s Supreme Court.

Justice G. Helen Whitener is running unopposed for re-election to Position 6 on Washington’s Supreme Court. Whitener became the first Black woman to serve on the state’s Supreme Court in April 2020 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy by Gov. Inslee. Later that year, she won her election to fill the remainder of the term. Prior to joining the Washington Supreme Court, Whitener served on the Pierce County Superior Court and worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney before becoming a judge.

Justice Whitener is both a Trinidadian immigrant and openly gay, and has worked to be a representative voice for justice for all in the state’s highest court. In this race, she has earned the endorsement of each one of her fellow justices as well as some retired justices. Whitener has been rated as "exceptionally well-qualified" by a number of bar associations and has done an exceptional job since joining the court.

Whitener is an important voice on the State Supreme Court and deserves your voice to continue serving as a justice in Position 6.

Spokane County District Court Commissioner Eric Dooyema is running for district court judge. Dooyema has served as commissioner since 2018, and has also served as a judge pro tem in numerous courts, including the Spokane Municipal Court.

Dooyema wants to pivot his experience serving as a member of the bench to have the authority to make policy votes. Some of his priorities include making the courts more accessible with remote access where appropriate and instituting an intensive, supervised therapeutic court for domestic abusers similar to the ones for DUI court. The Spokane County Bar Association has rating Dooyema as well-qualified.

Like his opponent, Dooyema has the endorsement of some judges on the Spokane County Superior Court and District Court. However, he lacks the organizational support of Zappone.

Andrew Biviano is running for Spokane County District Court in Position 6. Biviano is already a pro tem judge for the county’s district court. He has his own private practice specializing in civil rights law and he formerly worked as both an assistant U.S. attorney and in case management before that.

Having personally worked with community members experiencing addiction, housing instability, mental illness, and employment challenges, Biviano is running to bring a progressive vision of safety and justice to Spokane. If elected, he wants to uphold the civil rights and dignity of Spokane residents, while building equitable justice and public trust in the court. Biviano has been rated “exceptionally well-qualified” by the county bar association, has a strong track record of defending working people in court, and has earned the endorsements of key judicial leaders across the state.

Ritzville prosecutor Deanna Crull is the other candidate in this race. She serves as an Airway Heights Court commissioner and a pro tem judge for the county district court. Crull’s campaign priorities are investing in alternatives, reducing recidivism, and building community safety.

We recommend Andrew Biviano for Judge Position 6 on the Spokane District Court because of his proven track record of community leadership.