Spokane7
68°
May 3, 2011 in City
Condon running for mayor of Spokane
McMorris Rodgers aide takes leave of absence
Condon
(Full-size photo)
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner finally has an obstacle in her re-election bid.
David Condon, the deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said Monday that he will enter the race for Spokane mayor.
Until Condon’s decision, only Christopher W. Fenton, a political unknown and lab analyst at Signature Genomics, had announced his intent to challenge Verner.
Condon, 37, actually made his announcement Sunday during Bloomsday. Some of his supporters, including his wife, Kristin Condon, wore “Elect David Condon” T-shirts. The shirts stressed that the position is nonpartisan – a likely acknowledgment that the city leans Democratic.
He said he took a leave of absence from his job representing McMorris Rogers as of Friday and will work full time on his campaign.
In an interview Monday, he said he has enjoyed positive relations with Verner as a representative from McMorris Rodgers’ office.
“I’m not going to run a race against Mary Verner,” he said.
Instead, he said, he would focus on job creation as his top issue. He noted that the city has no boards or commissions related to small businesses and said the city’s top leader should work to bring employers into the city and for research spending that could help health care, agriculture and other business sectors.
“You do need to outright partner with the business community,” he said.
He said he opposes “at this point” the $20 annual vehicle tab tax that was endorsed by Verner and approved by the Spokane City Council in February.
Condon said he hasn’t formulated an opinion about the need to raise property taxes to help balance the budget next year. “I’d have to look at that issue more specifically,” he said.
Verner has said she plans to present the City Council with two budgets. One would solve the city’s estimated $6.6 million gap in 2012 with a property tax increase. The other would rely mostly on layoffs and cuts in case voters or the City Council reject lifting the city’s levy lid.
Condon said Verner requested to meet with him shortly after news broke that Condon was considering challenging her.
Verner said she welcomes Condon to the race and asked to meet with him because she wondered why he would want to “disrupt the progress that we’ve made.”
“I believe I’m doing a good job,” she said, adding that her administration has several initiatives aimed at helping businesses and bringing companies to Spokane. “We have a stable government in an extremely difficult time.”
Condon, who lives in Spokane’s Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood on the South Hill, is a graduate of Gonzaga Prep and Boston College. He served in the U.S. Army for about eight years. He has worked for McMorris Rodgers since 2005.
He said he hopes to raise about $400,000 in his quest for mayor – about three times the amount Verner raised in her successful bid to unseat Mayor Dennis Hession in 2007. Hession spent nearly $280,000 in his re-election bid. Verner spent $121,000.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
misjustice on May 03 at 5:47 a.m.
At least he has a name that we can have fun with…
I thought that our own lovely minx, DAZEE, would through her hat in the ring; she always has all the answers to our problems when she makes her blog rants, er, posts. I’m sure that within 1 month of being elected she could solve all of Spokane problems; she’s that good!
; )
DickAdams on May 03 at 7:24 a.m.
I have yet to hear a candidate who doesn`t claim he is going to create jobs. Wind bags, er hot air.
LeftofCenterWA on May 03 at 7:26 a.m.
Anyone should be better than Mary Verner, she hasn’t done us any favors here in Spokane. So I’m giving Mr. Condon a strong look.
DickAdams on May 03 at 8:07 a.m.
Lefty I agree with you, totally, regarding Verner.
Shadedmuse on May 03 at 11:10 a.m.
If he works for Mcmorris, he will probaly not do a damn thing for Spokane either. He will probaly have the Repubican-Tea-bagger machine backing his campain and with that, he should be defeated and loose in a Landslide. Verner has done more for this city then any mayor SPokane has ever had. Re-Elect Verner, we finaly have a Strong Mayor moving the city forward, another republican will just send everything backwards.
Coffee on May 03 at 2:01 p.m.
Verner is a lousy tipper, Condon tips to scale. Vote for Condon
MrNatural on May 03 at 3:40 p.m.
Great!…another doughy megalomaniac weaned at the Not-So-Chatty Cathy camp for bobble-heads.
He looks sweaty and stoned to me…I’ll stick with Mayor Mary…slow but steady
D Statler on May 03 at 9:22 p.m.
If elected,he would be known as Spokane’s Condom. Next challenger please ! Give us a regular everyday working TAXPAYER please :^(
Dazzeetrader11 on May 04 at 12:01 a.m.
Shaded…just exactly what has Verner done besides 1. spending on real estate she didn’t need, 2. generating unprecented debt for Spokane, 3. Kissing the cops and firemen unions,4. Raising taxes on everything including license tabs, sewer rates, garbage rates, water use, and about every other sign of incompetence. How about losing 2 lanes of traffic to bikes? How about hiring bike path consultants and arborists to the tune of $80K each? there’s a lot more…. how about given a lease on property ( an excellent view property) to her own tribe for another “cultural center…no taxes either.
How about no river clean up fund because she raided it for her favorite employee expansion program and where did she get the money? Killed the rate stabilization program for water and utilities…and this is why she’s raised your fees. Cover her bad management….oh and there’s much more Condon could explore.
I don’t know Condon except 2 short meetings in DC. He will raise a lot of money. Untill he puts forth a platform or plan, I’ll reserve judgement. He will have plenty of business support though. Verner’s run a greenie anti wealth anti business program. SOcialist love her.
Anything would be better than Verner. Even I would be better than Verner. J…I’m still thinking…June is my cutoff. I hope I get the left wing socialist vote. I like trees to you know!! I even own a bike!!
JBlim on May 04 at 5:45 a.m.
“…Anything would be better than Verner. Even I would be better than Verner. …”
I think you just disproved your statement.
Dazzeetrader11 on May 04 at 10:11 a.m.
Nope….I know how save money and offer better service with a much better plan for the city. I’m not crooked either blim.
jpx1968 on May 18 at 3:07 p.m.
His association with Cathy McMorris-Rodgers is just enough for me not to support his campaign. I must admit however, I have been a little disappointed with Mary Verner but if it did come down to the lesser of two evils than Verner will be getting my vote. Spokane must move forward not backward. That is what you will be getting if you vote for David Condon. Spokane needs to move away from its conservative, backwater image. Him becoming mayor would only exacerbate it.
campo on May 30 at 11:47 p.m.
I would rather see a mayor who is trying to build a great city than someone who wants to hack up everything and fire people and cut their pay. Spokane is a “right size” city and will do very well attracting new residents and businesses if we focus on the quality of our city and not just the bottom line.