Election Center
State to prepare for $478 million in transportation cuts
State lawmakers looking to trim some $478 million from the transportation budget during 2020 session.
Tip of a milk bottle could decide winner of tied Fairfield Town Council race as all ballots are counted
With every ballot in Spokane County counted, Dave Watling and Steven Walk are locked in a dead heat with 78 votes apiece as they seek position 3 on the Fairfield Town Council. If those results hold after the election is certified and an automatic hand recount is conducted, the winner is chosen by a game of chance.
Spin Control: Time for filing election challenges and grousing about ignoring ‘will of the voters’
It’s that time of the year for filing election challenges and complaining about those challengers ignoring the will of the people.
Spokane County plans to use new technology to speed up election-counting process next year
The last Spokane ballots left to count were cast by voters who struggled to make a decision on an advisory vote or made a mistake on their ballots.
Beggs’ first job as council president is to fill his seat on council
By winning his race for Spokane Council president, Breean Beggs will vacate his seat representing the South Hill district.
‘One or two votes is kind of a close thing’: Some Spokane County races still not settled
From Fairfield to Deer Park to the city of Spokane, many candidates are still waiting for votes to be counted.
Be careful out there: UK police warn candidates about safety
British police are unveiling new tactics to protect politicians amid the country’s fraught, even hostile political atmosphere, issuing safety recommendations for candidates running in the country’s Dec. 12 general election.
Longtime Coeur d’Alene Councilman Ron Edinger says goodbye after 50 years in office
The self-avowed “common man” of the Lake City was feted with a party at the Hagadone Event Center on Thursday night, some 52 years after his first election to city office in 1967.
Shawn Vestal: Beggs will play crucial role after supposed change election idles
After all that time, all that argument and all that Realtor money, the landscape at City Hall will be strikingly similar to the one we’ve had for eight years. Given that, it’s quite possible that the single most consequential elected official – the strongest one, you might say – will be the one sitting in the council president’s chair.
Commission determines campaign violations by labor-backed PACs active in Spokane election were minor
The Public Disclosure Commission has declined to further investigate complaints against the political fundraising arm of the Spokane Firefighters Union and a union-backed PAC, the Citizens for Liberty and Labor PAC, both of which spent heavily against Nadine Woodward in her successful bid for mayor.
As Beggs takes slim lead, City Council president candidates chase signatures
Entering the weekend separated by only 145 votes, the Wendle and Beggs campaigns have had teams canvassing the city to track down voters whose ballots were initially rejected by election officials and to ensure their votes are counted.
Ferguson says his office can defend I-976 from legal challenges
Attorney general likely to ignore calls to hire outside lawyers to defend Initiative 976.
Mayor Condon invites Nadine Woodward to settle in at City Hall; two council members object
Two council members are concerned with the lengths Mayor David Condon has gone to make the transition to a new mayor as seamless as possible, raising objections to his clearing of office space in City Hall for the mayor-elect and questioning what access she will be given to city resources.
Agencies, lawmakers scramble to fill $4 billion pothole from I-976
State agencies and lawmakers are looking for solutions to the loss of billions of dollars that would have come from Initiative 976.
Spin Control: Tax votes aren’t an automatic no, this election showed
An article of faith among certain political “experts” says voters, given the chance, will always vote against taxes. But voters don’t automatically do so.
Nadine Woodward campaigned on change, but her victory was about cementing status quo
After declaring victory on election night, mayor-elect Nadine Woodward pledged to “represent the change that voters wanted.” But her success could just as easily be said to illustrate the change that voters didn’t want.
Elections results indicate Spokane Valley government may be shifting to center
If Brandi Peetz holds on to what was just a 350-vote lead as of Friday, the majority on council will flip, and the new more moderate majority of council members will chose a new mayor when they take office in January.
Shane Brickner defeats Steve Peterson to become Liberty Lake’s third mayor
Peterson has served as mayor for all but four years of the city’s existence. Brickner, 44, will take office in January and said his goal is to craft more comprehensive growth plans for the burgeoning city and increase collaboration between his office and city lawmakers.
Spokane council president race now even tighter, recount possible; disputed council races still close
The already tight race for Spokane City Council president narrowed even further on Friday and could be heading toward an automatic recount. The race between Councilwoman Karen Stratton and challenger Andy Rathbun to represent District 3 on the Spokane City Council also remained close.
Races for Spokane council, council president narrow
The gap between candidates for Spokane City Council president was cut by more than half after additional ballots were counted on Thursday, indicating the race will go down to the wire.