Spokane City Councilman Paul Dillon elected as head of county Democrats

Spokane City Councilman Paul Dillon has been elected to head the Spokane County Democrats for the rest of the year, pledging to bring together the fractured group to win elections in 2026.

Dillon was the only nominee when the county party met Wednesday at nYne Bar and Bistro in downtown Spokane, to choose a successor to former Chair Steven McCray, who resigned in February along with a slate of other party leaders he had appointed, accusing the party of dysfunction on his way out.

McCray had only been in the role three months. He was elected in November to replace his girlfriend, former Chair Naida Spencer, who resigned in September after her leadership had become embroiled in personal conflict that worsened already fragile relationships between a progressive wing embodied by the local Young Democrats and an old guard that argues winning over moderates is key to elections.

A progressive elected to the council in 2023 with longstanding ties to the local party, Dillon’s election Wednesday was rapid, only slowed somewhat by problems managing the videoconferencing software used by members who attended remotely. He will fill the role until December, when the party will hold an election for its entire slate of leadership.

In an interview Thursday, Dillon acknowledged the intergenerational divide that has often plagued the party.

“When I first became a PCO in 2010, I was told there was no place for me, that I was too young, too progressive,” Dillon said. “Someone told me I would never make it in this town, and that was from an outgoing PCO.”

He hoped to be a unifying figure that could bring people back into the fold, he said.

“So I want people to feel like, if the door has been closed to them, that the door is back open and they are invited to the party,” he added. “I’m inspired by the young people that are coming into the fold, pounding the pavement, fighting for a better future, and also the folks who have been engaged for a long time, have spent years volunteering, and they care deeply about democracy and have fought for too long to watch things slip away.”

“I think I’m a good person to bridge those divides,” he concluded.

Logan Camporeale, a member of party leadership, nominated Dillon to be chair on Wednesday.

“We’ve had a lot of turnover, and I see Paul being able to bring us two things that are important. One is just some stability,” Camporeale said. “A lot of people think that there’s a blue environment in 2026, so it’s important to have some stability.”

“And our main mission is to elect Democrats,” he added. “Paul has been elected himself. He knows what it takes.”

While there are no city-level elections this year – Dillon noted Wednesday that there would be a conflict of interest if he was leading the county party while also running for office – a number of key offices are up for election this year at the county and federal level.