Doug Clark: Condon clears first ‘one-term mayor’ hurdle

The primary votes were counted Tuesday night and, just as expected, Spokane Mayor David Condon Sharbroiled his opponent.

To recap the math …

Condon captured a whopping 66 percent of the vote, with poor Shar Lichty receiving the equivalent of a burp in a burrito factory to claim second place.

Oh, yeah. A third mayoral candidate, Michael, er, something-or-other, was trounced so totally that just about everybody has already forgotten his name.

According to Spokane’s Curse of the One-Term Mayor, Condon will spend the next three months squandering all his advantages or backing unpopular issues that will wind up costing him the November general election.

You know, the way Mayor Mary Verner imploded after her primary election victory over Condon four years ago.

So let me be the first to say, “Welcome to City Hall, Mayor Lichty!”

Or not.

As nuts as it might sound, there is more scuttlebutt than ever about Condon becoming the first Spokane mayor to win a second term since Sonny sang with Cher.

I know. Crazy, huh?

But the Curse of the One-Term Mayor is an entrenched part of our Spokanistan identity. Breaking anything that sort of psychically powerful could have dire repercussions.

In fact, a few weeks ago I gave readers a chance to win some cool prizes by sending me their “worst case” predictions about the horrors that might happen should Condon defy the fates and actually get himself re-elected.

We’ll list our top three winners in a moment.

But I can’t let Primary Election 2015 fade away without first noting the historic event that occurred Tuesday night.

Yes, historic.

John Waite owns the dubious distinction of being the only candidate* to lose at least one City Council race in all three Spokane voter districts.

(*So far as we know, anyway.)

Waite, who owns Merlyn’s comic books and games store, confirmed Wednesday that he lost two previous runs for council in District 1. He also lost a council race in District 3, which encompassed his residence until a 2013 redistricting put the Waite home in District 2.

That made way for Tuesday night’s, um, hat trick.

LaVerne Biel and Lori Kinnear were the top two vote-getters. They will face each other in the fall.

I’ve always respected Waite for his good humor.

In 2011, for example, Waite campaigned wearing a 100-pound costume of some futuristic video game character.

But four losses? For City Council?

That’s gotta hurt.

It should also tell a guy something, shouldn’t it?

“Never say never,” said Waite, when I asked if he’d ever consider running again.

Politics really can be a curse.

Speaking of which, here are the prize-winning predictions for what may happen should Condon dare break Spokane’s Curse of the One-Term Mayor.

They are:

1. Avista will be given total control over energy pricing in the Pacific Northwest. – Paul Baxter.

2. Spokane’s NAACP will adopt the former Confederate flag as its new banner. – Bob Eagle.

3. George McGrath will be appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the Spokane City Council. – Sheryl McGrath.

Pull out of the race now, Condon. That last one is just too awful to even consider.