Democrats see good chance for Mager to defeat Harris

Results from Tuesday’s primary have Democrats thinking they might have a weak opponent for county commissioner, even if they’re running against a three-term incumbent and veteran campaigner with a much larger campaign chest.

Not only did more people in Republican Phil Harris’ district in western Spokane County vote for a Democratic candidate than for Harris and his GOP opponent, but Harris only garnered 60 percent of the vote within his party.

Harris will face neighborhood activist Bonnie Mager in the November election.

Democrats expressed surprise that Larry R. Vandervert, who hadn’t run for office in a quarter century and barely campaigned, was able to receive so many votes.

“He didn’t spend a red penny and he got 40 percent of the vote,” said George Orr, who lost to Mager in the Democratic commissioner primary. “Obviously the Grand Old Party isn’t happy with (Harris).”

Vandervert, however, said most of the people who selected him probably are Republicans who aren’t likely to vote for a supporter of Democratic Party ideals. He has endorsed Harris in the November race.

“He may not be the biggest visionary in the world, but I don’t think he does the office any harm and the public can trust him,” Vandervert said Tuesday night.

Others question whether Mager can count on the supporters of her Democratic primary opponents, Orr and former Idaho legislator Barb Chamberlain.

Chamberlain and Orr have conceded and are backing Mager, but it’s unclear if Chamberlain’s supporters will follow. Doug Kelley, chairman of the county planning commission, donated to Chamberlain’s campaign. He said he is undecided in the November election.

“I need to hear (Mager) advocate strong positions on issues other than land use,” Kelley said. “We need to see Bonnie show the same kind of depth, advocacy and understanding that we saw in Barb.”

Mager supporters say she has as much, if not more, knowledge of county issues because as the leader of the Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane County she has attended most county commissioner briefing sessions for the past two years.

The candidates gave a preview Thursday of the election to come during a Rotary meeting where they held their first debate.

Harris presented himself as a man of the people who gets things done.

“I have been the people’s choice three times,” he said in opening remarks. “My promise to you is I will not change.”

Mager presents herself as an outsider who would bring change and integrity to the office. She didn’t hide her inexperience at politics. Her opening statement was written out, and she admitted to be being nervous.

“I am not a career politician,” Mager said. “I have no special-interest backing.”

Harris said he wasn’t surprised by Vandervert’s showing.

“Now I start my campaign,” Harris said after numbers were released Tuesday. “I’ve been kind of idling my engines.”

The incumbent will have a strong money advantage in the November race. He still has $49,000 of the $83,000 he raised; Mager has less than $6,000 of her $33,000 campaign chest, according to their latest filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Harris said he’ll have another advantage in November. The primary included only voters in his district. The general election is open to the whole county.

“When it goes countywide, then it goes into the Republican strongholds like Spokane Valley,” Harris said.

In other post-primary election activity, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich faced off for the first time against Democrat James Flavel at a forum on the West Plains.

Flavel had been absent from all debates between Knezovich and GOP opponent Cal Walker before the primary, prompting even officials within the local Democratic Party to wonder whether he was serious about running.

In an interview Thursday he said that was part of his strategy, along with not spending money on campaign signs or advertising on a primary where he was guaranteed a win as the only candidate on the ballot.

“I wanted to see … ‘What’s my target?’ ” Flavel said. “Now I know who my opponent is.”

He’ll campaign as someone who offers “a fresh start” in the Sheriff’s Department after a primary that pitted two high-ranking officers against each other.

“Walker has his team and Ozzie has his team, and that won’t go away after the primary,” he said. “A big divide never gets mended.”

Reporter Jim Camden contributed to this report.