Election wins encouraging

Congratulations to Breean Beggs, Candace Mumm and Kate Burke for their election victories in Tuesday’s City Council elections.

This election shows that Spokane voters support a moderately progressive council that upholds workers’ rights, combats problems of poverty and mental illness, seeks to improve our neighborhoods and also acts as a citizen of the world to combat global warming and civil rights abuses.

The trio won despite attacks from the mayor and his allies, including a business PAC that laughably calls itself “Better Spokane.”

The head of the Spokane County GOP led a sleazy smear campaign against Beggs, but our citizens saw through it.

We were also lectured by right-wing S-R columnist Sue Lani Madsen, on having a council that dares to pursue “trendy” causes, such as assistance for 40,000 low-income workers who used to labor without even one day’s paid sick time until the council enacted a modest sick and safe leave policy a year ago.

Madsen called for a “referendum” on the kind of council Spokane should have. She got it Tuesday night.

Spokane’s election was part of a national trend, rolling back divisive Trumpism and right-wing politics. That’s a referendum I applaud.

Karen Dorn Steele

Spokane