Candidates and capsaicin: Spokane City Council runners campaign over hot wings and habaneros

As the Nov. 4 election date grows closer, Spokane city council candidates got hot and bothered Sunday night, chowing down on fiery chicken wings and answering some of the “spiciest” questions about their campaigns.

Moody red and blue lights illuminated velvet drapes hung along the back of the Guardian church on Washington and Sinto. Candles dotted an ornate table at center stage, alongside a platter of peppers and a pitcher of milk.

Hosted by RANGE Media, the forum consisted of three sessions, each with two candidates from each district who sat at opposite sides of the table . RANGE reporter Erin Sellers moderated from the middle. A live audience of around 150 people cheered, laughed and applauded throughout the evening.

Local chef Tony Brown presented all speakers with a platter of five wings in order of increasing heat: serrano, dill pickle and garlic; Booey’s Gourmet hot sauce; habanero, brown sugar, garlic and onion; ghost pepper and plum; and scorpion pepper and tart cherry.

Candidates were given two chances to rebut their opponent – though they had to eat a habanero pepper to do so.

“Sarah, take a bite,” Sellers said to District 1 candidate Sarah Dixit, kicking off the forum. “I’ve been instructed to warn you: do not touch your eyes, nose, mouth or anywhere on your face.”

District 1 – Northeast Spokane

Incumbent Jonathan Bingle is running against Dixit for the District 1 seat on city council. As a professional disc jockey during wedding season, though, Bingle was unable to attend the forum.

After taking a bite of the first serrano wing, Dixit said to make life more affordable for her district, if elected she would support policies such as rent stabilization, increasing the minimum wage and free bus transit for everybody.

On a whiteboard, Sellers told Dixit to draw the new Hillyard arts district. The change will benefit the local economy and enhance the culture of the area, Dixit said.

“There are a lot of amazing things going on there, and people write it off,” she said. “So I think things like the creative district or the new United building or the new bicycle shop are all helping folks visit Hillyard, and show how amazing it is and how they can build their homes there.”

Both took a bite from the Booey’s wing, and Sellers asked why local Democrats have been so ineffective at getting elected in a district that saw more votes – by around 5% – for Kamala Harris in the last presidential race. A Democrat herself, Dixit said the answer is in campaign structure, and that she thinks “being able to go to people’s homes is so important.”

Dixit and Bingle alike, Sellers pointed out, have been accused of having extremist views. Dixit is an avid abortion rights advocate, has claimed sex work is legitimate work and made an appearance at a June 11 anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest.

The audience erupted into applause.

“My fan’s reaction would show that my beliefs are not that extreme,” she said. “To me, all the things I do listed (by Sellers) are caring for one another regardless of someone’s income, their race, their religion … but to your point, I don’t mind.”

The third round, featuring a habanero prerequisite, is where the going gets tough, Sellers warned before bumping wings with Dixit and digging in.

On the topic of transgender issues, Sellers pointed out that Dixit has taken teens to Olympia to advocate change to the Parent’s Bill of Rights, which would allow parents to be notified about their child’s LGBTQ identity. Bingle, on the other hand, has introduced legislation to prevent transgender people from using their preferred bathrooms on city property.

“Just like any other population, trans folks deserve to have their rights protected,” Dixit said. “And so when it comes to lawmakers who are trying to make the lives of trans people specifically really difficult and singling them out, it’s really dangerous.”

Advocating with Spokane Public Schools to prevent documentation of students’ LGBTQ identity being shared with parents would be a priority for her on local and state levels if elected, Dixit said.

Dixit also addressed her campaign funding, under half of which comes from Spokane. She is funded largely by First Mile Circle, a donor group “that supports progressive candidates of color in down ballot races across Washington state who are bold, transformational, and accountable to the communities they represent,” per their website.

During the ghost pepper round, Sellers switched from a can of beer to a cup of milk.

Prompted by a post on Dixit’s Instagram that read community safety should be built with “community repair, not fear,” Sellers asked how Dixit would solve community safety concerns if elected, specifically concerns from families about downtown safety. She said she would lean into a scatter-site model for homeless shelters.

Finally, the scorpion pepper.

Sellers asked Dixit how her campaign could be “all about the will of the people” if she opposes the 75% of people that voted for Proposition 1, which bans camping near schools and parks.

“I think, especially if you look at a lot of times when people write up a ballot initiative, they are intentionally really confusing,” Dixit said. “I can read you so many different ones but you wouldn’t know which side you were on, even if you were the most educated person on this.”

After another bite of scorpion pepper, Dixit stood for her final pitch to the audience.

“I am someone who is at concerts alongside you, who’s hanging out at this event alongside you, sweating,” she said. And I really want to bring my expertise and my love of Spokane to the dais and be able to make policies that work for you instead of continually creating barriers to our everyday goals.”

Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” played as the lights dimmed and the next candidates shuffled to the front.

District 2 – South Spokane“Ripping the Band-Aid off,” after a bite of mild serrano chicken, Sellers said both candidates Kate Telis and Alejandro Barrientos describe themselves as Democrats, despite the nonpartisan position. She asked them, “how do each of you define ‘Democrat?’ ”

Saying his core values, growing up in Colombia, are Democratic, Barrientos described the party values as those of “inclusion, love and unity.”

“My values is something that I’m gonna leave at the door when it comes to politics, because these issues aren’t red or blue. These are local issues, and I think that’s what we need to focus on.”

Telis took the chance to compare funding sources between herself and Barrientos, saying that while she is funded by people who have historically supported Democrats, he is not.

“It means that you need to stand up and talk about what’s gonna be the best interests for somebody who’s never had the privilege that you’ve had, and I am very proud to be endorsed and supported – funded, specifically – by people that hold those values,” she said. “I am a candidate who believes in transparency and accountability. I do not mean to sling mud at all, but the public deserves to know, what are our intentions?”

Rather than using one of the two allotted habanero rebuttals allowed, Barrientos addressed the issue in his next answer as to why he is the better candidate.

“My first question when I go to your door is not ‘are you a Democrat or Republican?’ ’cause that puts them in a defensive position. What I like to ask is ‘What do they hear about? Why do they like Spokane so much? What do they want to see in Spokane?’ ” he said. “I think we have something in common, that if Republicans, Democrats or independents are funding my campaign, I agree with that because what I want to see is a future where my kids have the same opportunities that I had when I came here 17 years ago.”

Asked the same question, Telis said that her previous career as a prosecutor is testament to her drive to stand up for people.

“I forever want to spend my life bettering this community. I do not have plans to leave, ever, and that’s part of the reason why I’m running, because my children live here. I live here. My friends live here,” she said. “We can do better in this community. The nation is crazy right now, but we are the first line of defense to protecting our community.”

At the second spice level, Sellers began an interrogation into the pair’s local civics knowledge, starting with a decision the current council has made with which they both agree. Telis said she is a “big proponent” of Mayor Lisa Brown’s H.O.M.E Starts Here initiative, which addresses homelessness and public safety. Barrientos praised the Safe and Welcome in Spokane ordinance, which restricts federal immigration enforcement officers from entering some spaces without a warrant.

Next, a decision with which they disagree.

Citing a process rather than an initiative, Telis called the 1 a.m. vote by the council to pass an amended Proposition 1 camping ban after the public had gone home in June “not democracy.” Barrientos echoed her sentiment, saying that the city should have engaged more with supporters of the ordinance and educating them about what works and what doesn’t in policy.

Biting a habanero, Telis said the city, in the aftermath of Proposition 1, has improved upon voters’ goals to create “a lasting solution for everybody” in the updated ordinance. Taking up his own habanero, Barrientos said that he doesn’t think that the city gave voters a solid plan of action.

When it comes to addressing homelessness, Sellers pointed out, the two candidates differ. How, she asked, can the city tackle homelessness and public safety concerns?

Telis called for the creation of a new, independent agency rather than pushing responsibility onto police.

“There’s a lack of trust between police officers and our community, especially those who’ve lived on the streets, who have such hard lives already,” Telis said. “And so what we need to do is look at upstream models where we fund independent agencies to actually get people to the services they need.”

Barrientos said people on the streets should be given the choice between mandatory rehabilitation and jail after turning down resources three times before.

“We have to understand that these people are in this position because they’ve lost control of their lives,” he said. “And to expect them to make decisions for themselves – whether it’s mental health or drug addiction services – we need to give them guidance and get them off the streets.”

Candidates ate their next hot wing as whiteboards were brought to the table.

“Since you both decided to run for the empty seat, we wanted to check just how much of your homework you did on the council’s function and role before you decided you were the best person to run,” Sellers said. “We’re gonna take a little civics test.”

Telis was correct about the difference between a resolution and an ordinance, Barrientos didn’t write an answer for what a resolution is. Both were correct in that camping is not legal anywhere in Spokane. Barrientos was not able to name the director of the City Council Office, Telis was. Both overestimated the percentage of the city’s budget that was allotted to the city council – the answer being under 1% , Telis guessing 8% and Barrientos guessing 5.

Another hot wing, and Sellers asked Telis how Spokane can trust her to understand their financial struggles when her husband, a doctor, makes well above that of the average citizen and she is a lawyer.

“It has given me the privilege to commit my life to serving my community regardless of what the paycheck will be coming back,” she said. “And that’s where I think it matters most.”

In the same vein, Sellers asked Barrientos about his employment under Larry Stone, president of SCAFCO and “conservative mega-donor.” Barrientos said that he would be willing to donate the money he makes from a city council position to charity.

“What I know of Larry Stone is somebody that I’ve worked with for the last nine years, somebody that I respect, somebody that hired me to run his businesses – not necessarily to talk about politics,” he said. “But there’s no question in my mind that he would (not) ask for me to do something that is outside of his character. He’s probably the most ethical person that I know when it comes to my professional career.”

For her second rebuttal, Telis called Barrientos’ connection with Stone a “huge conflict of interest.”

“Politics are trying to be bought by very wealthy people, and we need to call it out,” she said. “And we need to be transparent with the public about it.”

In his second rebuttal, Barrientos said that he has listed every campaign donation he has received because he is proud of his donors, regardless of political affiliation.

For his final speech after tasting the scorpion pepper, Barrientos rehashed his love for Spokane and encouraged the audience to vote – whether it be for him or Telis.

“I want to ask of people is, really, get to learn about your candidates. I always welcome people to come to me. If they want to hear about what I think, what my vision is, what my values are, come to me,” he said. “I welcome you to come, either grab coffee, give me a call. I’d be happy to answer any questions, any concerns, anything you want to know about myself and what I’m doing this for.”

Telis returned to her career standing up for people for her final statement.

“We’ve got a crossroads right now. We’re facing things post-COVID that we’ve never faced before. Housing costs are increasingly up, the situation downtown requires a lot of nuanced policy making and our environment – the Spokane River ran, dry. Parts of it ran dry this past month,” she said. “We need to do things now for us, for our children and for the future of this country.

“Hot to Go!” by Chappell Roan marked the end of the segment.

District 3 – Northwest SpokaneIncumbent Councilman Zack Zappone sat opposite Chris Savage, and mistakenly started things off with a hearty bite of scorpion pepper. He silently reached for his glass of milk as Savage answered Sellers’ first question: What is your plan to make housing more affordable?

Savage said 10 locations around Spokane can be annexed to create more land for houses.

“There are so many people on the doors that I’m talking to that are saying that future generations – their kids, their grandchildren – are being priced out of Spokane because we don’t have the amount of inventory,” he said. “So what we need to do is make sure that we manage more land so we can build more houses.”

On his turn, Zappone, a high school teacher, gave a shout out to the students he taught who used to give him spicy Takis chips to laugh at his reactions for preparing him for the event. In terms of housing, he said Spokane needs to focus on development density.

“When I walked around the city – drive around the city – I see a lot of empty lots around downtown, up and down Division and in our neighborhoods,” he said, adding they the city needs to fill the lots.

Zappone pointed at his work in developing the Pavement to People program, which uses tax deferrals to support building housing on parking lots downtown, and said that he wants to work on creating a land -quality tax to incentivize lot owners to invest in development.

Savage picked the first habenero to rebuttal. He said pushing parking to the streets will have unintended consequences for emergency providers being able to reach their destinations.

The second chicken wing – the Booey’s hot sauce one – was much easier than the scorpion pepper he bit first, Zappone said. Sellers also realized she had gone out of order before reading out a question on collaboration across the aisle.

Zappone pointed to Spokane Transit Authority passing a reduced low income program for riders.

“That was voted on by a 6 -2 minority at the STA board meeting when just, previously, a couple of years prior to that it was defeated with a … not a second person seconded that motion,” he said. “So it took two years, but we were able to change that attitude.”

Savage was more general.

“It doesn’t matter if I disagree with you. I will always meet and I will always talk with you, because that is what the responsibility of the City Council is,” Savage said. “I will look through in the eyes. I will make sure that I am paying attention to you. I won’t be on my phone. I won’t be on my laptop. I will make sure that I am listening to you, my constituent, to make sure that that is who’s being listened to.”

Zappone took up a habanero.

“Chris, you and I grew up together, and you said a statement at a previous forum that impacted my life. You said I am championing LGBTQ rights and other small minority communities,” Zappone said. “And then I called you, someone that’s been living with you since you were 12, you didn’t have the decency to take two minutes to talk to me, so I don’t know how voters can believe you on that.”

On the habanero wing, Sellers said that the next round of questions addressed the conflict Zappone mentioned and “set the record straight” about who each candidate would fight for.

Savage said he plans to fight for everyone. Zappone talked about the people in the community who he sees struggling.

Biting into a ghost pepper wing, Sellers pointed out that both men supported a proposal earlier this year to reinstate a voter-approved camping ban in most of the city that the state Supreme Court tossed out. Where, she asked, should the city move the homeless, and how should they pay for it?

Intermediate safe places for the homeless were Zappone’s solution, such as church parking lots and RV parks with services nearby. In the longer term, he said he is supportive of a new jail. He added he never wants the National Guard to come to Spokane, as the Trump administration has done in Washington , D.C.

Savage said a new correctional facility with wrap around services would be the answer. He would cut city council staff to pay for it.

“We have the count of about 500 to 600 people that is going to be, at the end of this year, of people who have passed away on our streets, and it’s not compassionate having these people die out there in Spokane on our streets,” Savage said. “We need to make sure they’re getting the right help, so that we’re actually helping them get back into society.”

In a follow -up question, Savage said he would support a jail tax to build a new facility.

After the final hot wing, Sellers turned to Savage.

“Chris, you said elected officials need to respect the will of the people, especially when it comes to Proposition 1, which was approved, again, by 75% of voters. However, this is your fourth time running for office – the exact same office. Voters have said ‘no’ to you three times already. How is continuing to run and respecting the will of the people?”

Savage said that the first three times he ran, he tried to do everything on his own, which meant less time for focusing on donors and doorbells.

“Its not about the vote of voters who don’t want me, it’s more about I’m showing them that I’m persistent, I’m dedicated, I will not quit on my own,” he said.

To Zappone, Sellers asked about his previous running for higher office and whether he would commit to a full four years on the council if elected.

“I can’t commit to anything except for, I can commit that right now I am running for this office, and I am running to represent my constituents as I have over the last four years,” he said. “Voting for me is continuing to vote for those values of what we represent in our community, and that’s what we’ve gotta keep fighting for.”

In his final statement, nose running, Zappone said he is running for office because “everyone deserves a fair shot,” and he wants to continue addressing the challenges he sees in the community.

Astounded that Zappone ate the Scorpion pepper first after trying it himself, Savage launched into his own final statement.

“You are the top priority in my mind. I want to make sure that you all have a defender, a champion that’s going to listen to you,” Savage said. “We need to make sure we have a council member who is going to listen to you take your thoughts and implement them into District 3.”

Lights dimmed, and “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads filled the room, alongside the chatter of the full room.

As audience members flooded out the church doors, they could grab a pack of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos for the road.

The election is Nov. 4.