Campaign ‘97

It’s unusual, but legal

Several readers inquired about phone calls they received last weekend from the GOP, urging them to vote for Duane Sommers for mayor and Charlotte Karling for City Council. Is this legal in a nonpartisan election? they asked … Yes, it is, as long as the party and the candidates report it properly in upcoming Public Disclosure Commission filings. (Several people will no doubt be checking, to make sure.) The main thing that keeps the parties from jumping into nonpartisan races is tradition: Why spend money on offices for which party doesn’t matter? … The county GOP, as reported in this space last week, asked Republicans to vote for their former leaders without mentioning Sommers and Karling by name. The state GOP added the names … If they did it without consulting the candidates, it’s an independent expenditure; if they conferred, it’s an in-kind contribution … The accounting questions seem secondary to the effectiveness question at this point. While the GOP was making its calls, John Talbott was mailing out fliers. Sommers finished ahead of Talbott among absentee voters who wouldn’t have seen that flier; Talbott passed him in ballots counted on election night.

It’s unusual, period

Another note on a last minute ad: The small box in last Sunday’s paper that urged voters to “Stop the Cowles Gang” by electing Talbott and council candidates Steve Thompson, Ken Withey and Cherie Rodgers came as a big surprise to Rodgers. Sponsor Squeaky Clean Services, aka Allan LeTourneau, never checked to get her permission, she said, and she’s not part of any slate. “I’m independent, I’m my own person.” … The ad points out several problems with independent expenditures. They surprise the candidates and they can list bad information. Rodgers’ name was misspelled, and voters looking to punch the ballot for her on Tuesday would have been disappointed. Having only Barbara Lampert for an opponent, she wasn’t in the primary.

For the record

There has been a fair amount of carping about the turnout - or lack thereof - in Tuesday’s primary. OK, it was low … But it was also pretty typical by historical standards. Turnout stood at just over 20 percent, the same as the turnout four years ago, the last time Spokane had to choose among five mayor candidates … Sure, it’s been much higher: 37.7 percent in 1991, but that was the year to vote on a tax for the Spokane arena; and 27 percent, in 1983, but there was a primary for a special county coroner’s election and a pool bond issue at stake … Turnout has also been lower, like in 1979, when only 13.8 percent of the voters showed up for a primary that featured just three council seats.

Speaking of ballot stats

Tuesday’s turnout may have resulted in the quickest count ever for a Spokane election. The last ballots from the polling places were tabulated in time for the 11 p.m. news … The computer was running through ballots so quickly that election workers could be heard razzing Elections Supervisor Tom Wilbur to pick up the pace as he ferried boxes of ballots across the courthouse.

A sound backer

Most of the candidates who head into the general election have important personages to list for their campaign committee. Judith Gilmore has that, plus a nontraditional member, The Makers, a garage-punk band … Of course, that won’t raise as many eyebrows in political circles as her list of endorsements. She has former Democratic Gov. Mike Lowry, her old boss, and Richard Kuhling, a longtime friend who’s also a former chairman of the county GOP. But it is, after all, a nonpartisan race.

Campaign calendar

Oct. 4: Last day to register to vote at the precinct house in the general election.

Oct. 10: Candidates, political committees must file summaries of expenses and donations.

Catch the candidates

Oct. 22: Forum for Spokane City Council candidates hosted by Citizens League of Greater Spokane. , DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘97, published Sundays during election season, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. Information about debates or political forums can be mailed to P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; or faxed to (509)459-5482; or e-mailed to jimc@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports