Rich Cowan
A candidate for State Senator, Legislative District 6 (NW Spokane County and NE Spokane) in the 2014 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 5
Party: Democrat
Age: 69
City: Spokane, WA
Occupation: CEO and founder, North by Northwest
RICH COWAN
Education: Graduated from Juanita High School in Kirkland, Wash. in 1974. Earned broadcast journalism degree from Washington State University in 1979. Earned human nutrition master’s degree from WSU in 1984.
Work experience: Co-founded North by Northwest Productions in 1990. Worked as the community affairs director for KHQ-TV from 1986-1990. Served as a firefighter and emergency medical technician at Washington State University while a college student. Served on Community Colleges of Spokane Vocational Advicsory Council in mid-1990s. Former Eagle Scout.
Political experience: Ran for Congress in 2012 against U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Family: Divorced. Has two adult children.
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Baumgartner (R) | 18,063 | 57.27% |
| Rich Cowan (D) | 13,476 | 42.73% |
Related Coverage
Senate challenger Rich Cowan making most of ‘Z Nation’ debut
There’s more than civic pride riding on Friday night’s premiere of “Z Nation,” the zombie-apocalypse TV show filmed and produced in Spokane. It’s also become the symbolic centerpiece of Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan’s pitch as the candidate with the best economic development résumé. Cowan’s studio, North By Northwest, is producing the 13-episode SyFy network series, which has brought the equivalent of about 200 full-time and mostly union-scale jobs to Spokane, as well as hundreds of other part-time opportunities.
Primary election results favor GOP gaining control of state Senate
OLYMPIA – Republicans are in the driver’s seat to control the Washington Senate in 2015 unless Democrats can improve their showing in a handful of races like Spokane’s 6th District contest between incumbent Sen. Mike Baumgartner and challenger Rich Cowan. Primary results from the Baumgartner-Cowan race aren’t as close as some other contests, but with relatively few competitive districts left after the 2011 redrawing of district boundaries, it’s likely to get the most attention of any Senate election in Eastern Washington.
Republican incumbents carry the day in local races
A slate of inconsequential primaries delivered results Tuesday night as both candidates in a number of two-person races moved forward to November’s general election with a better idea of where their support lies. It was a night for incumbents in the Republican Party as state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and state Rep. Matt Shea all took commanding leads of at least 10 percentage points over their opponents. In the largest spread, Knezovich walloped his challenger, Doug Orr, besting him by 33,000 votes of just 74,000 cast in early returns.
6th District Senate campaign likely another expensive race
The 6th Legislative District is bound for another expensive campaign season, as Democrat Rich Cowan challenges incumbent Republican state Sen. Mike Baumgartner in November. Although they are the only two candidates in the race, making the Aug. 5 primary election almost inconsequential, they have already raised over $400,000 combined.
Spin Control: Candidates spar over income tax claim
In these dog days of summer, things that would not get a second look the rest of the year are tested for news viability under much lower July vacation standards in an effort to fill the paper. Any other time, a press release from one candidate complaining that his opponent was lying about his stance on an issue would likely go straight to the delete file. Lying in campaigns is, after all, a time-honored political tradition protected by the state Supreme Court.
Sunday Spin: Checking out claims on a dog day afternoon
Sunday Spin: Checking out claims on a dog day afternoon
Zombie TV series ‘Z Nation’ will provide Spokane with good jobs
The zombies are coming. And they’re bringing work for nearly 200 actors, 1,300 extras and more than 100 crew members. The new SyFy Network television series “Z Nation” will begin shooting in Spokane next month. The network has ordered 13 episodes, all of which will be filmed in the Spokane area this spring and summer and are scheduled to begin airing in the fall.
Baumgartner hosts re-election breakfast
Although he’s been raising money for nearly a year, state Sen. Mike Baumgartner makes it official Thursday with a formal kickoff breakfast for his re-election campaign. Republican Baumgartner, 38, was elected to the 6th District seat in 2010, defeating incumbent Democrat Chris Marr in what became the most expensive legislative race that year. In the minority his first two years, Baumgartner has been a member of the coalition of Republicans and two disaffected Democrats who controlled the Senate for the last two.
‘Knights of Badassdom’ to debut locally
A made-in-Spokane film will be screened in Spokane, too. But it may only happen once – and tickets are going fast.
Spin Control: Right-to-work weird for Washington
Somewhere in the great beyond, James “Big Jim” Farley is having a good day. The former Tammany Hall boss and political strategist for Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been pulled out of a celestial poker game late last week when word drifted heavenward about a news release from state Sen. Mike Baumgartner. The Spokane Republican came up with a solution to the fix Washington could find itself in after Boeing’s union machinists voted down a contract extension that would have guaranteed the 777X be built in the state.