Lisa Brown
A candidate for U.S. Representative, Congressional District 5 in the 2018 Washington General Election, Nov. 6
Party: Democratic
Age: 67
City: Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Robinson High School in Illinois in 1974. Graduated from the University of Illinois in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Graduated from the University of Colorado in 1986 with a doctorate in economics.
Work experience: Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane from 2013-17. Associate professor of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University from 2001-2012. Assistant and associate professor of economics at Eastern Washington University from 1981-2001. As a young adult, worked in fast food restaurants and bookstores, as well as a summer working at the Marathon oil refinery where her dad worked. Formerly served on the boards of YWCA, Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, Greater Spokane Incorporated, the University District Public Development Authority and Innovate Washington.
Political experience: State Department of Commerce from 2019 to early 2023. Ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2018, losing to U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Elected as a state representative for the 3rd Legislative District, serving from 1993-96. Elected a state senator of the 3rd District, serving from 1997-2012. Served as Senate Majority Leader from 2008-2012.
Family: Married to Brian McClatchey. Has one adult son and one grandson.
Political donations: Reported raising about $464,000 as of Oct. 16, including major donations from the Washington state Democratic Central Committee, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, unions including the Laborers International Union of North America Local 238, and the Denny Heck for Congress campaign. Other notable contributors include former Spokane Mayor John Powers.
Contact information
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) | 175,422 | 54.76% |
| Lisa Brown (D) | 144,925 | 45.24% |
Related Coverage
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Lisa Brown scheduled to appear at two debates in Spokane this week
A televised debate will air Wednesday night live from the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane beginning at 7 p.m. on KXLY-TV. A second debate will take place the following afternoon at the Spokane Club and will air later on KSPS-TV.
Lisa Brown raises more campaign cash than Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in latest reports
Democrat Lisa Brown reported taking in $2.2 million in a feverish two months of campaigning following her second-place finish in August’s blanket primary. Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers added $1.4 million directly to her campaign, including money raised through a joint fundraising committee. The total amount of fundraising is approaching $10 million for the seat.
Lisa Brown collects more campaign cash than Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in latest reports
Democrat Lisa Brown emerged on top of the latest money contest for Eastern Washington’s seat in Congress, besting Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in a race that is now pushing $10 million.
Ad watch: Nicaraguan visits 30 years ago continue to fuel misleading ads against Congress challenger Lisa Brown
Radio ads tie Brown to the Sandinistas, a group that seized power in the Central American country in 1979. They draw from a 1990 article written about Brown’s time in Nicaragua, teaching economics at the University of Central America in Managua. Brown has said she doesn’t support the regime now, and that the visit in 1990 was not one to influence politics. The U.S. policy she was active against in the 1980s was the financial support of the Contras, a deeply divisive subject in the midst of the Cold War.
Lisa Brown: Walking the Walk: Creating budgets and tax policies that help Eastern Washington
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Congress and the president have blown up the national deficit in a series of spending bills and tax cuts that no credible economist calls fiscally responsible. We are projected to have over $1 trillion more going out the door in a year, rather than coming in. Combined with reckless tariff policies of the administration and the trade war with China, Eastern Washington is facing the biggest threat to our regional economy since I moved here and began teaching economics at Eastern Washington University in the 1980s.
State officials watching Whitman County voter registration closely ahead of November midterms
The state’s director of elections says their agency is watching the county to ensure compliance with state laws, which don’t require specific documentation proving residency, just a sworn statement. A student voter drive prompted concern that some ballots wouldn’t be counted in the November midterms.
Lisa Brown: From legislator to educator to serious contender for Congress
Supporters say it’s a combination of academic accolades and political bona fides that make Lisa Brown the right candidate at the right time to put Eastern Washington back in the Democratic column after nearly 30 years.
Lisa Brown speaks at forum hosted by Coalition of Color; judicial candidates make their pitch
Democrat Lisa Brown spent part of her birthday Tuesday speaking at the Coalition of Color Candidate Forum and answering questions and concerns of people of color.
McMorris Rodgers, Brown weigh in on how to fix the VA
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her challenger, Lisa Brown, discuss what they think is wrong with the VA and what can be done to fix it. KHQ’s Patrick Erickson and Peter Maxwell report.
Election materials prompt WSU cease-and-desist to Cathy McMorris Rodgers campaign; Lisa Brown’s campaign also asked to quit using university’s imagery in ads
The university has also requested the congresswoman’s Democratic challenger, Lisa Brown, remove trademarked images from her ads in an effort to remain neutral in the closely watched Congressional contest.