Spokane City Council District 2 (South)
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Kate Telis | 15,238 | 59.91% |
| Alejandro Barrientos | 10,197 | 40.09% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
Results by Precinct
About the Race
The Candidates
Kate Telis
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana in 2001. Graduated with bachelor’s from Colby College in Maine in 2005. Graduated with a law degree from George Mason University Law School in 2012. Passed the Virginia Bar Exam in 2012 and the New Mexico Bar Exam in 2014.
Work experience: Worked for Sen. Max Baucus in Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2009. Served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Jan Brodie of the Fairfax Circuit Court from 2012 to 2013. Worked as an Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting domestic violence felonies in New Mexico from 2014 to 2015. Served as development director for Cuidando Los Niños, a nonprofit supporting homeless families with children under the younger than the age of 5, from 2016 to 2017. Established the Law Office of Kate Telis and consulted with private law firms in New Mexico on cases involving sex trafficking and excessive use of force by law enforcement from 2017 to 2019. Moved to Spokane in 2019 and volunteered with the League of Women Voters, and Hutton Elementary. Founded a support group for parents with children diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and is the current chapter lead of Spokane’s Moms Demand Action.
Political experience: Top three finalist for a recent vacancy for an appointment to the Spokane School Board in 2024. Volunteer coordinator for Maggie Yate’s campaign for county commissioner in 2022 and Paul Dillon’s campaign for City Council in 2023. Communications director for Molly Marshall’s campaign for county commissioner in 2024.
Family: Married to Alex Telis. They have two children, ages 4 and 9.
Campaign finance: Raised more than $93,100 as of Oct. 1, according to the PDC. Contributors include: New Mexico attorney Kelly Sanches; the Spokane Fire Fighters Union; Brian McClatchey, husband of Mayor Lisa Brown and former city council legal adviser; City Council President Betsy Wilkerson; former Democratic congressional candidate Don Barbieri; and the Washington Education Association.
Alejandro Barrientos
- Age:
- 37
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Earned bachelor’s in business administration from Gonzaga University in 2013. Earned associate degree from North Idaho College.
Work experience: Works as the chief operations officer for SCAFCO Steel Stud Manufacturing Company, a 70-year Spokane family-owned business since 2021, and purchasing director, Stone Group of Companies; Previously worked as the product manager for CWallA a distributor steel framing in Spokane and chief procurement office for Rocky Mountain Construction.
Political experience: First run for office.
Family: Divorced. Has two children.
Campaign contributions: Raised more than $67,400 as of Oct. 1, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Contributors include: the Associated Builders and Contractors Political Action Committee; Greenstone Corp.; Kirishian Imported Rugs Inc.; attorney Marshall Casey; hoteliers Gerald and Patty Dicker; and Anne Cowles, Washington Policy Center board member and wife of Spokesman-Review Publisher Stacey Cowles.
Complete Coverage
Kate Telis sworn in as newest Spokane City Council member, ending streak of appointees
South Spokane is now represented by a second elected council member for the first time since 2023, after Councilwoman Kate Telis was sworn in Tuesday.
Spokane progressives post strong showing on Election Night as voters signal they’re receptive to taxes
Spokane voters in early returns Tuesday mirrored national trends in their support for left-leaning politics and demonstrated an appetite for more taxes in spite of economic uncertainty.
Candidates are skeptical Spokane’s tougher approach to homelessness will sway voters
There have been a handful of October surprises ahead of this year’s Spokane City Council races, those last-minute events that may or may not sway voters in the waning days before the election.
Spokane City Council candidate Barrientos is sued for eligibility to run; a judge must hurry to decide
Three residents sued Spokane City Council candidate Alejandro Barrientos on Monday, questioning whether he resided in the district he is running to represent .
Spokane City Council candidate’s eligibility to run called into question
Alejandro Barrientos’ qualification to legally run for Spokane City Council is being scrutinized over questions about whether he met the residency requirement for candidates.
South Spokane City Council candidates talk successes, failures of homelessness policies
Homelessness has permeated Spokane streets and minds for years, and Spokane City Council hopeful Kate Telis or Alejandro Barrientos will be next in line to address the problem.
In the race to represent south Spokane, two council candidates ask voters what kind of Democrat they want to represent them
Of the three elections for the Spokane City Council this year, the race to represent the southern district is the only one where both candidates are from the same party and have the most significant policy overlap.
Washington ballots mailed on Election Day or even days in advance could be thrown out due to postmark delays
Washington voters who mail their ballots on Election Day this November, or even days in advance, could have their ballots thrown out as a result of compounding cost-cutting measures by the United States Postal Service leading to postmarking delays, local and state election officials are warning.
Candidates and capsaicin: Spokane City Council runners campaign over hot wings and habaneros
As the Nov. 4 election date grows closer, Spokane city council candidates got hot and bothered Sunday night, chowing down on fiery chicken wings and answering some of the “spiciest” questions about their campaigns.
Campaign cash in Spokane elections falls along typical lines — even in race with two Democrats
Washington’s primary elections are Tuesday, and while Spokane’s City Council races aren’t yet attracting the kind of big money they did in 2023, hundreds of thousands of dollars are already pouring in.
Shelby Lambdin appointed to four-month stint on Spokane City Council
Shelby Lambdin was appointed to a four-month stint on the Spokane City Council Monday, filling a seat representing south Spokane vacated by former Councilwoman Lili Navarrete, who was herself appointed to the seat in early 2024 and resigned effective July 1 citing health concerns.
Conservative Spokane council candidates attack liberal majority at church’s candidate forum
Voters got a better look Tuesday at some of the conservatives running for Spokane City Council at a forum hosted by Calvary Spokane, where they were asked about a wide range of topics, including the church’s role in politics and whether buses are worthy public investments.
Shelby Lambdin likely appointee to Spokane City Council
A South Hill resident will soon be appointed to a four-month stint on the Spokane City Council, and it appears nearly certain to be Shelby Lambdin, the population health director at the Community Health Association of Spokane, more commonly known as CHAS Health.
Four applicants vie for appointment to four-month stint on Spokane City Council ahead of July 28 vote
By the end of July, one of four people will be appointed for a four-month stint on the Spokane City Council to fill a seat vacated by former Councilwoman Lili Navarrete, who resigned citing health concerns effective July 1.
Alejandro Barrientos, business executive and independent Democrat, running for Spokane City Council
Alejandro Barrientos, chief operations officer for the SCAFCO Steel Stud Company, is making a bid for the Spokane City Council.
Spokane Councilwoman Lili Navarrete to step down ahead of election
Spokane City Councilwoman Lili Navarrete, believed to be the first Hispanic or immigrant member of the Spokane City Council, will step down in the coming months, she said Thursday.
With filing week over, election season in Spokane County asks if voters want to shake up their cities
Medical Lake residents will be asked whether to re-elect a mayor determined to see the city grow and further developed, or a former mayor worried growth is outpacing the city’s capacity to pay for it and could start to price out current residents.
Contests for Spokane Valley City Council shaping up (and other updates for candidate filing week)
While a couple days remain for interested candidates to throw their hats in the ring, it’s already clear the Spokane Valley City Council will look a little different next year.
GOP chair files for Central Valley School Board as candidate filing week starts
Four years ago, after Rob Linebarger and Pam Orebaugh emerged as the top two candidates in a primary election for a Central Valley School Board seat, Linebarger stepped aside, saying Orebaugh was the better choice, especially compared to a write-in candidate they opposed.
Former prosecutor Kate Telis announces run for Spokane City Council
Kate Telis, a former prosecutor who has more recently worked on the campaigns of several Spokane-area candidates, has announced she is running for Spokane City Council.