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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Smith v. Dansel for the 7th Dist. Senate seat

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Spokane Council Dist. 3 Mumm v. Cannon

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Time running out to vote in primary

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County to hold special filing period for positions with no candidates

For some political offices, getting elected is difficult. For others, getting unelected can be even more challenging. Take the Waverly Cemetery District in south Spokane County, for example. All three commissioners are up for election this year. None filed for re-election in May. Chances are good all will keep the nonpaying job.

Primary turnout low one week out

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Advisory votes, cost on the rise

OLYMPIA – Washington voters will be asked in November what they think about five tax increases. What legislators do with that knowledge is pretty much up to them, because the taxes are already law, and the election won’t change that. 

5 tax advisory votes this fall

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City Council’s balance could hinge on District 3 race

Call it a race for supremacy at City Hall. A tug of war between the mayor and City Council president. Just don’t call it boring.

Spokane City Council 2nd District candidates disparate

Jon Snyder knows he’s in a fight for his political life. His two opponents in the race to represent Spokane City Council District 2, John Ahern and LaVerne Biel, are making sure he knows it. Two years after joining the council in 2009, Snyder watched two of his progressive compatriots fall to their more conservative opponents.

Appointed senator to face two challengers in 7th District

Most years, it’s considered an advantage to hold the office you are seeking in the upcoming election. Brian Dansel and Mike Brunson, who are challenging appointed Sen. John Smith for the seat in northeast Washington’s sprawling 7th District, are hoping 2013 isn’t like most years. Being in the state Senate is not exactly a badge of honor after a prolonged session that needed nearly 50 extra days to accomplish the Legislature’s primary goal of passing the operating budget.

Three vie for Spokane Valley City Council spot in primary

Spokane Valley Deputy Mayor Gary Schimmels, who has served on the City Council since the city incorporated in 2003, appears to have lost favor among the Positive Change group that holds five of the seven council seats. In the 2009 elections, five candidates ran together on a Positive Change ticket, including Schimmels. His fellow council members twice elected him to the post of deputy mayor, but donors that supported Schimmels in that election, most notably businessman Jack Pring, have shifted their support to Ed Pace. Pace and Dee Dee Loberg are facing off against Schimmels on the primary ballot that will be mailed to voters next week. The two who receive the most votes will advance to the general election in November.

Council hopeful loses challenge over residency

The troubled candidacy of Mark Hamilton came to an end Friday. A Superior Court judge ruled that Hamilton failed to meet residency requirements for a Spokane City Council seat and prohibited his name from appearing on the general election ballot in November.

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to back I-522

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Spin Control: When all else fails, candidates shouldn’t whine

The lineup card for the August primary shows we’re fielding quite a few rookie candidates for local office this year. Welcome to the ring. Watch out for all those hats being tossed around.

Most money for I-522 from outside WA

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From wannabe to never-was in five easy steps

Washington political candidates have until Friday to make their pipe dreams official by filing their intent to run for local office. Welcome to Delusion Week.

Vestal: Anti-school message hits the road with Alton money

If you thought that Duane Alton’s anti-schools campaign had slowed down since it took a drubbing at the ballot box last fall, think again. It just shifted the battle ground to Battle Ground – a school district near Vancouver, all the way across the state. As you may know, there is no public school anywhere on Earth that Alton and his band of merry patriots will not try to make poorer, whether they live there or not. Alton’s group sent out its familiar yellow scare fliers to Battle Ground voters earlier this month in an effort to defeat a levy on Tuesday’s ballot. They also targeted a bond issue in Reardan-Edwall.

Groups hope to place initiatives on city ballot

Envision Spokane hopes the third time is a charm. The group was one of two that filed signatures this week with Spokane City Clerk Teri Pfister to place initiatives on the city’s November ballot. Both turned in significantly more signatures than needed to qualify – though they still need to be verified by the Spokane County Elections Office.

Council members break email rules

Two Spokane City Council members have apologized for using their city email accounts to send campaign messages. Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and Amber Waldref sent electronic newsletters to supporters that included their opinions on the three proposed measures that will be decided by voters in the city’s Feb. 12 special election.