Karen J. Stratton
A candidate for Council District No. 3, City of Spokane in the 2015 Washington Primary
Party: No party
Age: 65
City: Spokane, WA
Occupation: Incumbent councilwoman
Her words: "My father used to say, if you really want to know what people think and what people want, you need to go to them. And I believe that. To me, the vibrancy and the pulse of the city is in the neighborhoods."
Her pitch: Stratton says more work needs to be done to improve the quality of life in the northwest neighborhoods, particularly West Central. The former Spokane city clerk says she'll continue to advocate on behalf of municipal employees, efforts that have often put her at odds with Mayor David Condon's office. She defended the city's approach to providing services for the homeless in her four years on the Spokane City Council, but said she'd advocate for more partnerships in the community between city social workers, educators, mental health care providers and others to provide more and longer-term services for those living on the streets.
Education: Graduated from Marycliff High School in 1977. Earned bachelor’s degree in communications and general studies from Eastern Washington University in 1989.
Work experience: Worked at Washington State University Spokane and the Community Colleges of Spokane. Served as a clerk in the city clerk's office.
Political experience: Incumbent councilwoman. Appointed to complete term of Steve Salvatori. Former aide to Mayors Jim West and Mary Verner in 2014. Former legislative aide in the Washington state House.
Family: Married. One adult son. Her mother, Lois Stratton, was a legislator in Olympia as a Democrat from 1979 to 1993, and her father, Alan Stratton, was a member of the Spokane City Council from 1965 to 1975.
Neighborhood: Audubon-Downriver
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More about Karen J. Stratton
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Karen J. Stratton (N) | 3,771 | 42.33% |
| Evan Verduin | 2,881 | 32.34% |
| Kelly P. Cruz | 1,167 | 13.10% |
| Dave White (R) | 1,090 | 12.23% |
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Spokane City Council members meet with candidates vying for open seat
Most people who win a seat on the Spokane City Council have to persuade thousands of people over the course of many months to vote for them. The candidates for a vacant Spokane City Council seat only need to persuade four people. That persuasion began in earnest Wednesday as the nervous candidates made their way, one by one, to the head of the table where they answered six questions from their possible council mates. Allotted 20 minutes each, the five candidates answered questions about the downtown transit plaza, urban growth and November’s ballot measures concerning Riverfront Park and street maintenance.
Spokane City Council finalists lean liberal
Not even a year ago, Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart was stymied by a conservative majority on the city’s legislative body on votes concerning tax issues, urban growth and protections for City Hall employees. In about three weeks, Stuckart and a liberal bloc of five out of seven votes could be unstoppable. Stuckart announced Monday the five finalists for the District 3 City Council seat left vacant with the resignation of Steve Salvatori, a fiscal conservative who moved to Texas last month because of work. It may be no surprise that the top five, who were chosen from a list of nearly two dozen applicants, are also Stuckart’s top five choices, according to a tally sheet handed out to media.