Burke, Richard in dead heat for commission

Spokane County commissioner candidates Bill Burke and Mark Richard may be a little distracted in the coming days.

Their District 2 race for commissioner was too close to call Tuesday night and further election numbers won’t be available until Thursday.

When the county stopped tallying votes, Richard was ahead 51 percent to Burke’s 49 percent, but the difference between the two was fewer than 3,000 votes out of almost 120,000 votes counted so far.

In District 1, Republican candidate Todd Mielke defeated his Democratic opponent, Linda Wolverton, 55 percent to 45 percent.

At the Ridpath Hotel, Bill Burke sat in a curtained-off corner monitoring election numbers on the county’s Web site as other Democrats partied in the ballroom around him.

Watching those numbers was a bit of a roller coaster, as Burke and Richard exchanged the lead each time new results were announced.

“This is how it’s been all night. This is the way it’s going to go right to the end,” said Burke, who added that he anticipated a tight race.

When asked what it would take for him to win, Burke joked: “More votes.”

Republican Richard’s party at Players & Spectators in Spokane Valley was festive, but supporters winced when early numbers showed Burke leading Richard.

Later, when the numbers started going his way, Richard described his outlook on the race as “cautiously optimistic.”

“I feel pretty good. The trend has been really positive,” Richard said. “I think the absentees tend to lean toward Republicans, but who knows with the number of people who have been driven to vote this year.”

Richard said he’ll keep his kids home tomorrow for some family time and then wait and watch the absentee ballots come in over the coming days.

“Regardless of what happens, I’m going to feel good,” he said.

At the Davenport Hotel, the scene at Mielke’s election suite was celebratory.

“Hi, Commissioner. Good to see you,” said Spokane County Commissioner Phil Harris as he shook Mielke’s hand.

When both Democrat John Roskelley and Republican Kate McCaslin decided earlier this year that they wouldn’t run for re-election, it was up for grabs which party would dominate the commission.

But with Mielke’s victory, Republicans will retain control of the county.

District 3 Commissioner Harris, who wasn’t up for re-election this year, is also a Republican. If Richard retains his lead, the Republican Party will hold all three commissioner seats for the first time in at least decades.

“I feel good,” said Mielke, as he waited for the numbers to come in.

He said he had a three-pronged approach to his campaign — strengthen his own base, reach out to his opponent’s supporters and building name recognition early through signs and billboards.

Both he and Wolverton said Mielke’s lead in fund raising may have played a part in his victory.

Mielke raised $121,000, compared with Wolverton’s $14,000.

That money helped reach out to the roughly third of voters who base their decision on name recognition, Mielke said.

“Fund raising was a big factor because of the election year… because it was easy to get drowned out,” he said detailing all of the television, radio and direct mail ads on the presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional races competing for local voters’ attention.

“Now it’s time to take down all the signs and reclaim my dining room table. Then it’s time to roll up my sleeves and get up to speed on all of the issues I need more background on,” Mielke said.

“It looks like the home builders have their commission,” said Wolverton, referring to the Spokane Home Builders Association, which supported Mielke and Richard, who is the group’s government affairs director.

Wolverton, who waited for election returns at home with family and friends, said she is disappointed that she lost, but added that she doesn’t regret running for the commission.

“I’d do it again, just because I thought it was important that the public was represented instead of special interests,” she said.

Wolverton will finish the two years she has left on her term as Spokane County treasurer, but said she doesn’t plan to run for re-election.