Three candidates seek open seat in northeast Spokane council district
Voters in Spokane’s northeast council district will have a contested primary, choosing between at least three potential replacements for Amber Waldref, who cannot run for re-election because of the city’s term limit ordinance.
Two neighborhood council leaders, Kathryn Alexander, co-chairwoman of the Bemiss council, and Tim Benn, chairman of the Minnehaha council, entered the race Wednesday. They’ll face Kate Burke, a legislative assistant, who filed Monday.
Alexander, 74, is a retired university instructor who develops programs on ethical leadership and designs websites. She moved to Spokane about three years ago after spending 15 years in Boulder, Colorado, two years traveling and a year each in New Mexico and Arizona.
She has served on a group looking at problems between landlords and tenants, and believes the city needs to do more to improve those relationships and increase affordable housing. “I know how to bring people together,” she said.
Benn, 39, is a Spokane native who owns a child care facility with his wife. He has previously run for the Legislature, but this is his first run for council.
He believes the council needs more balance and should pay more attention to fixing streets and fighting property crime, and that the city is losing opportunities to attract new businesses and jobs.
“I think (potholes) are worse than they’ve been since I’ve had a driver’s license,” he said.
Races with at least three candidates will be on the August primary ballot. Those with one or two candidates will only appear on the November general election ballot.
Cities, towns, school districts and other local government bodies around Washington have elections this year. For a complete list of candidates for local offices around Spokane County and to view their contact information, visit weiapplets.sos.wa.gov.
Here’s a list of candidates who had filed for municipal and school board races in Spokane County as of the close of business for the Elections Office on Wednesday:
Spokane
Council District 1: Kate Burke, Kathryn Alexander, Tim Benn
Council District 2: Breean Beggs, Tony Kiepe
Council District 3: Matthew Howes, Candace Mumm
Municipal Court 1: Tracy Arlene Staab
Municipal Court 2: Mary Logan
Spokane Valley
Council Position 1: Chris Jackson, Al Merkel, Rod Higgins
Council Position 2: Brandi Peetz, J. Caleb Collier
Council Position 4: Ben Wick, Ed Pace
Council Position 5: Pamela Haley, Robert (Rocky) Samson, Ingemar (Lloyd) Woods
Council Position 7: Linda (Hatcher) Thompson, Mike Munch
Airway Heights
Council Position 1: Kevin Richey
Council Position 2: Steven Lawrence
Council Position 4: Jared Lacambra, James Weathers
Council Position 5: Doyle Inman
Cheney
Mayor: Chris Grover
Council Position 1: Paul Schmidt
Council Position 3: John Taves
Council Position 4: Teresa Overhauser
Deer Park
Mayor: Robert Whisman
Council Position 1: Mary Babb
Fairfield
Mayor: KayDee Gilkey
Council Position 1: Melissa Lunsford
Council Position 2: Darcie Sainsbury
Liberty Lake
Council Position 2: Hugh Severs
Council Position 4: Odin Langford, Jeanette Nall
Council Position 6: Mike Kennedy
Medical Lake
Mayor: Shirley Maike, Laura Parsons, Don Mayfield
Council Position 1: John Paikuli
Council Position 2: Monica Manza, John Merrick
Council Position 3: Arthur Burton
Council Position 5: Gary Plumlee, Michael Deeley
Millwood
Council Position 1: Shawna Beese
Rockford
Mayor: Carrie Roecks
Spangle
Council Position 1: Ron Cockle
Council Position 2: Rebecca Johnson
Council Position 5: Steven Anderson
Waverly
Mayor: Paul Curtis, William Tensfeld
Council Position 1: Lori Stark, Kim Billington
Council Position 2: Joel Martensen
Council Position 4: Alexander Fuchs
Council Position 5: Bree Killstrom
School Districts
Spokane, Position 2: Elise Raimi, Deana Brower; Position 5: Mike Wiser, Miranda Ackerman
Central Valley, District 2: Tom Dingus; District 5: Camilla Kane
Cheney, District 2: Suzanne Dolle
Deer Park, District 2: Brad Erickson; District 3: Joanne Greer
East Valley, District 3: Justin Voelker; District 4: Fred Helms, Emily Provencio; District 5: Mike Novakovich
Freeman, District 2: Ed Cashmere
Great Northern, Position 1: Ken Pegg; Position 4: Lynn Schaff; Position 5: Mary Patrick
Liberty, District 3: Chad Cornmesser; District 4: Scott Simmons
Mead, District 1: Chard Burchard; District 5: Carmen Green
Medical Lake, District 1: Leo Spilker, Kelly Fouts; District 5: Peggy Schweikhardt
Nine Mile Falls, Position 4: Vicki Daggy, Kyle Yancey; Position 5: Greg Flemming
Newport, District 1: Rick Hughes
Orchard Prairie, Position 2: Suzanne Savall
Riverside, District 2: Jon Roman; District 5: Brandi Maynard
St. John, District 1: Shantyl McGuire; At-Large Position: Kelli Melhus
Tekoa, District 2: Mary Marsh; District 3: Shane Monroy; District 5: Fran Martin
West Valley, District 2: Robert Dompier; District 5: Pam McLeod
Spokane County Superior Court
Position 6: Tony Hazel
7th Legislative District
Senate: Shelly Short, Karen Hardy
House: Jacquelin Maycumber, Susan Swanson