February 5, 2010 in City

Tucker deputy wants top job

Prosecutor’s leadership lacking, Stevens says

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Stevens
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Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Dave Stevens announced Thursday that he’ll challenge his boss, Prosecutor Steve Tucker, in the August primary.

Both Tucker and Stevens are Republicans, and the battle already is off to a heated start.

“Until I came here, I’d never seen a total lack of leadership,” Stevens said Thursday. “There needs to be a determined leader, not an absent administrator.”

Tucker said he was surprised by Stevens’ decision, especially because Stevens gave him his first campaign contribution for his re-election bid.

“I’m disappointed he thinks that, or at least says it,” Tucker said. “We’ll deal with that during the campaign.”

Stevens said he hopes to keep his job while running, but Tucker said “all options are on the table” when asked if Stevens could be let go.

“I don’t think the public should be paying somebody to run against his boss,” Tucker said, noting that he resigned his position as a deputy prosecutor before challenging the incumbent, Jim Sweetser, in 1998.

Stevens admitted that he supported Tucker’s re-election bid as early as last fall, but he said he changed his mind because he felt Tucker was a poor advocate for the office late last year when layoffs were made in the office.

Stevens added that he did not tell Tucker he was planning to run before he made his announcement because Tucker indicated to him last fall that he might fire another employee who was considering a run.

“He said, ‘Why would I pay someone $100,000 to run against me?’ ” Stevens said.

Tucker said Thursday that he only indicated that firing was an option.

Stevens, who has worked in the office since 2002, promised Thursday not to solicit donations or endorsements from employees in the prosecutor’s office. He also promised that if elected he wouldn’t fire anyone except for cause.

One of Tucker’s first acts as prosecutor was to fire five employees, including the supervisor Tucker had when he was suspended for five days from his deputy prosecutor’s position in 1997. Tucker had been punished for regularly missing meetings and other performance issues. Tucker argued the suspension was politically motivated.

When he announced the dismissals soon before taking office, Tucker said he let them go to improve “office relationships.”

“The reason that the office had declined so much was because these five people were the ones who were bringing the office down,” Tucker said in an interview during his re-election bid in 2006. “It was just a disaster.”

This week, Stevens, 47, won an endorsement from the Spokane County Republican Party. Spokane County GOP Chairwoman Cindy Zapotocky said Thursday that Tucker hasn’t yet asked for an endorsement but she doesn’t foresee any obstacles to him also receiving the party’s stamp of approval.

No Democrats have announced plans to run for the office. Spokane County Democratic Party Chairwoman Amy Biviano said she knows of at least one person who has expressed strong interest in running for the job as a Democrat.

“We’ll make sure we have the right candidates, and if we don’t have the right candidate, we’ll focus our energy elsewhere,” Biviano said.

11 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 05 at 3:55 a.m.

  The Democrats and Progressive Independents had better field a highly competent challenger.. and although I like the sound of Mr Stevens being able to stand up against the status quo.. it is always better to have at least a few fine folks from which to choose.

  I am hoping that Greg Weber who was in the running for the Spokane Police Ombudsman will make a decision to step up and join the fray. The largest part of our perception of Police special treatment lies right at the feet of the curent prosecutor’s office…

  This is the single Most important race in our county for a decade. We need to mend our feelings about Police Oversight and fair treatment of ALL citizens and this would be a big step forward.

  The Democratic Party better pay attention to this one as a Peace and Justice Issue.

  John Olsen

• 

  TrueGOP on February 05 at 6:36 a.m.

  I had to laugh at Mr. Tuckers statements to the media. Talk about an evil man. He has to use threat tactics to keep his job. A true leader doesn’t have to threaten their workers to make a point.

  So Mr. Stevens is right about the lack of leadership.

  Also to Cindy of the GOP County Party, I know some of those board members. They will never endorse Tucker again. They are fed up with him. Honestly I know a few Board members that would drag Mr. Tucker across the flames if he came before them.

  Mr. Stevens has my full support on this race.

• 

  liarsinnews on February 05 at 7:48 a.m.

  Even a dog catcher is better than the 19th hole player, Tucker.

• 

  horse_feathers on February 05 at 8:14 a.m.

  Tucker is not perfect, but anyone who has worked with Stevens knows he is a nutjob.

• 

  lewis8457 on February 05 at 9:48 a.m.

  nut job or not if he will prosecute the cops like everybody else i will be happy even if he wears a clown suit to work. Talk is cheap.

  I too hope Greg Weber decides to run. I still think if we had hired him for police ombudsman we would be hearing something from his office, as it is two drunk driving officers has brought no response from our new 75 grand year ombudsman.

• 

  BitofBacon on February 05 at 10:49 a.m.

  Lewis,
  The SPD has had ONE (1) officer accused of DUI, not two. The other accused officer works for the SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE and does not fall under the purview of the ombudsman, who works for the CITY OF SPOKANE. I know you like to lump them all together, but they are TWO separate agencies.

• 

  horse_feathers on February 05 at 12:06 p.m.

  Be careful what you wish for. Check Stevens out with people in the system you trust and know before you just react because you don’t like Tucker.

• 

  twobit on February 05 at 1:50 p.m.

  it was 2 remeber a cop named jay olsen

• 

  lewis8457 on February 05 at 1:52 p.m.

  Lets put it this way I would vote for a street sweeper before tucker gets my vote, ever!

  And bits I see you are still hiding behind an alias. Yes I put them in the same group they are cops they should have known better. But the ignorance of the police makes them think they are above the law.

  And so be it Bits, I still haven’t heard a single word from our new neutered ombudsman about the one drunk city cop suing the city for 4 million bucks.

  Everyone at the safety building must be so proud.

• 

  Pat O'Leary on February 08 at 6:42 p.m.

  Let us not forget that Tucker refused to prosecute in the homocide of Otto Zehm. His loyalty is with the police rather than the people. I know nothing of Stevens but I’m sure I will before the elections.

• 

  Pat O'Leary on February 08 at 6:49 p.m.

  Oops….homicide.