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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

High number of uncontested races

Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker hasn’t been hitting the campaign trail much this fall.

Baker, along with 88 other candidates countywide, faces no opponent.

Of the 32 offices up for election in Spokane County, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Medical Lake, Deer Park and Airway Heights, 15 are uncontested.

While races for offices in small towns and on cemetery boards often go uncontested, it’s surprising to see those in larger towns without competition, said Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton.

“For the school districts, the fire districts and the cities, it did seem to be a bit lower than we expected,” Dalton said.

The low candidate turnout in Spokane Valley was the most unexpected.

Just three years ago in Spokane Valley each of the seven City Council slots faced a primary ballot at least six candidates deep, said Dalton, who oversees all local elections. This year four of those Spokane Valley seats are uncontested.

“I’d like to believe they think I’m doing a good job and that’s why nobody is running against me,” Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite saidwith a laugh.

Fellow Spokane Valley Councilmember Dick Denenny said he thinks it has to do with the voters’ willingness to give the current council a shot at second terms.

“A lot of people looked at it and said, ‘These people haven’t been council members long enough to even warrant removing them or challenging them. Why not let them keep going?’ ” Denenny hypothesized.

More candidates turn out if they think they have a good chance of winning.

“It’s easier to win a race in a crowd,” said Blaine Garvin, a political science professor at Gonzaga University.

“It’s almost a lottery because no one really knows the candidates,” Garvin said.

But this year the lack of Spokane Valley candidates could have implications when it comes to how long the winners in those races serve. The four winners with the most votes will be given four-year terms, while the other three will serve two-year terms. It’s likely that the four uncontested candidates will receive more votes than their counterparts in the challenged races, thus winning the four-year terms.

Still some people don’t vote on uncontested races because they don’t like having no choice, said Dalton. That could also impact who gets the four-year terms.

In Liberty Lake, all three council seats up for election this year are uncontested.

Other small cities have more candidates. Of the three Airway Heights Council members up for re-election, only Don Mitchell is uncontested. The other race between Larry Haskell and David Wooten doesn’t have an incumbent.

The situation is similar in Cheney, with only Curt Huff running unopposed.

But in Medical Lake, the mayor and five council seats are up for election. Mayor D.C. (Terry) Harland faces opposition from John Higgins, but none of the four incumbents running for re-election is being challenged. The open seat, however, has two candidates vying to fill it.

In Deer Park, Helen Cragun has no opponent.

Competition for many races is scarce because of their low visibility and lack of pay, said Garvin.

Even Spokane Valley Council members make just $400 per month, although a ballot question proposes raising that to $900 per month.

“It is true that if you start at the presidency and work your way down, the lower the office you have, the fewer people who contest,” Garvin said.

With other offices, the spotlight can be a bit much to handle.

“People understand at the local level in particular, it really is a burden. When you take on a local government job it really is a lot of work for very little reward. And you can come in for a lot of grief and criticism as well,” Garvin said.