Election time…let’s see who’s filed…
No, not Lisa Brown yet for governor.
Locally, however, there's already some interest in city council seats. A quick run through Public Disclosure Commission files shows that:
Tom Towey is running for a Spokane Valley city council seat. Towey's a Spokane Valley planning commission member, longtime Rosauer's manager and former write-in candidate for council against councilman Steve Taylor.
Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson (who appointed Towey to the commission) is also running for re-election. Munson's a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and retired stockbroker.
Brenda Grassel, impressively, already has a website up for her run for Spokane Valley City Council. She and her husband own a manufacturing company, Precision Cutting Technologies, and have rental properties.
Steve Eugster, a longtime Spokane attorney, would-be long-haul trucker and law school classmate of Justice Richard Sanders, is running for Spokane City Council against Councilman Michael Allen, a 2007 appointee and former Eastern Washington University official who's running for re-election.
Eugster was on the council at a more contentious time, departing 6 years ago, and he has uttered what is so far the best quote of the 2009 campaigns, referring to the now-much-less-exciting council: "This `Era of Good Feelings' is putting us all to sleep." (Eugster's political resurrection prompted actual rejoicing from S-R columnist Doug Clark.) Still, judging by Allen's former job with EWU, his fundraising should be formidable. He was director of the school's corporate and foundation relations.
Spokane Valley City Councilman Gary Schimmels is running for re-election. He's a longtime construction company owner who two years ago sold his business, Affordable Lock Express since 1998.
Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin's running for re-election. She's a co-owner of a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company.
Challenging McLaughlin is Karen Kearney, a women- and children's advocate and the former campaign chairwoman for Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.
Amber Waldref is running for Spokane City Council in District 1, for the seat currently held by Councilman Al French. She's works for the Lands Council (a Spokane-based environmental non-profit group) is a Georgetown alumna, and counts among her Facebook friends state Sen. Chris Marr.