Nominees to be next Spokane County prosecutor to be interviewed publicly Tuesday

Spokane County residents will have the opportunity to hear from the three attorneys interested in becoming the next Spokane County prosecutor at a public meeting Tuesday. 

The deadline for the Spokane County Commission to select a replacement for former Prosecutor Larry Haskell is fast approaching, and ahead of their final selection, the commissioners plan to interview the interested candidates at their 2 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

That decision could come immediately following the public interviews and a brief closed-door discussion between the commissioners, according to the meeting’s agenda.

When an elected official leaves a partisan office before the end of their term, state law mandates that the outgoing official’s party nominates up to three individuals to serve the remainder of the term. The county’s governing board has 60 days from the date of vacancy to select someone to fill the role from the nominees advanced by the outgoing official’s party.

Haskell, a Republican, resigned in July with a year to go in his third term. The Spokane County GOP met just a few weeks later to make their nominations. Chief Criminal Deputy Attorney Preston McCollam received the most support among Republican Precinct Committee Officers, drawing nearly 80% of the ballots cast for the top nominee spot.

McCollam, who was named acting Spokane County prosecutor by the commission as the process has played out, is joined on the nominee list by Assistant Washington Attorney General Steve Garvin and attorney Marshall Casey. Garvin was a deputy Spokane County prosecutor for 15 years prior to his departure for the attorney general’s office in 2022.

Garvin and McCollam have been clear about their intentions to run for the position when the choice of the next Spokane County prosecutor comes to the voters in fall 2026. The two former colleagues have an early jump on the many months of campaigning ahead of them; between them, Garvin and McCollam have secured tens of thousands in donations, several prominent endorsements and lobbed their respective fair share of accusations about the other.

Casey, a former Court of Appeals judicial candidate currently with Sweetser Law Office, acknowledged during the August GOP meeting he is in the running mostly to help the party round out the list of nominees.

The county commissioners will interview McCollam, Garvin and Casey at the tail end of their legislative meeting that starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The meeting will be held in the lower level of the Spokane County Public Works Building at 1026 W. Broadway Ave.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the date of the interviews with the nominees for Spokane County prosecutor. The interviews will be conducted Tuesday, Sept. 9.