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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

After thumping in election, Ahern pays for hand recount

This is a map of the margin of victory for each precinct in the 2013 Spokane Council District 2 race. It replaces 232117, which has a typo (Jim Camden)
This is a map of the margin of victory for each precinct in the 2013 Spokane Council District 2 race. It replaces 232117, which has a typo (Jim Camden)

A Spokane City Council candidate who lost big in his attempt to unseat incumbent Councilman Jon Snyder is demanding a recount.

John Ahern, a former state representative, sent a letter to the Spokane County Auditor’s Office on Monday requesting that four precincts be recounted. A check for $429.50 was attached. That’s a quarter for each of 1,718 ballots that he wants recounted.

County Auditor Vicky Dalton says candidates have the right to pay for a recount even if a race isn’t close. Ahern probably will end up paying closer to $1,500 because state law says that he has to pay the full cost of a recount.

Snyder, with 12,286 votes, got nearly twice as many votes as Ahern, who received 6,617. It was a huge defeat for a candidate who always won or nearly won his races for state representative. But the results shouldn’t be a big surprise. The South Spokane district Ahern wanted to represent on the council is much more liberal than the 6th Legislative District he served.

Ahern lost all but two of the 50 precincts in the district and one of those was a tie. One of the four precincts that will be recounted is the only precinct he won, the western half of the Eagle Ridge subdivision in Latah Valley. Two of the other precincts are in the far southeast corner of the city (one he lost 237-138; the other he lost 270 to 129). The fourth precinct that will be recounted is just north of 29th Avenue at Pittsburg Street. He lost that precinct 237 to 138.

The precinct where Snyder and Ahern tied (which will not be recounted) is west of the portion of Hatch Road that leads to Latah Valley in southwest Spokane.



Jonathan Brunt
Jonathan Brunt joined The Spokesman-Review in 2004. He is the government editor. He previously was a reporter who covered Spokane City Hall, Spokane County government and public safety.

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