2023 election
Spokane’s mayor-elect on homelessness, public safety and a changing city
Spokane will soon have a new mayor. In January, longtime Democratic state legislator and former Washington Department of Commerce chief Lisa Brown will step into the job. She was ahead of incumbent Nadine Woodward in last week’s election by a margin of 51.7% to 47.7% as of Monday. Brown spent 20 years in the Legislature, […]
Snohomish County’s new sheriff seeks a reset for her department
From an early age, Susanna Johnson wanted to be a cop. At 22, she got her dream job with the sheriff’s department in Washington’s third most populous county. In a few weeks, Johnson will become the new Snohomish County sheriff, capping three decades of wearing a badge, nearly all of it for the law enforcement […]
Tacoma tenants’ rights measure passes with fewer than 400 votes
Update: This story was updated 5 a.m. on Wednesday to reflect new results in the race and an updated number of ballots left to count. A Tacoma ballot measure that would provide some of the state’s strongest protections for renters has passed with supporters having just 361 more votes than those voting against it. The […]
Lisa Brown on track to be Spokane’s next mayor
Update: Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward conceded late Monday in the race against Lisa Brown. As of Monday, Woodward had 47.7% of the vote, compared to Brown’s 51.7%. Longtime Democratic politician Lisa Brown will likely be the new mayor of Spokane, following a heated contest between her and incumbent Nadine Woodward. The race to lead Washington’s […]
How housing and homelessness ballot initiatives are faring so far in this year’s election
This story was updated at 5 p.m. Friday to reflect the latest results. In local elections around Washington, measures to protect renters are so far receiving mixed support, while initiatives to impose new restrictions on homeless encampments and raise millions of dollars for affordable housing are receiving strong backing from voters. County auditors continue to […]
How you can help prevent your ballot from getting rejected
There are three basic ways Washington voters can prevent their ballots from being rejected in the upcoming Nov. 7 election: mail your ballot early, sign it with the same signature used on your driver’s license and use your legal name. That’s according to a new study from the University of Washington on the most common […]
How housing and homelessness are shaping local elections across Washington
An expensive mayoral race in Spokane where candidates are fighting over vastly different approaches to solving homelessness. A proposed Seattle levy that could pay for more affordable housing across the city. Ballot initiatives in Tacoma and Bellingham that could protect tenants from steep rent increases and evictions. Housing shortfalls and homelessness hang heavy over this […]
New text alerts let Washington voters track when their ballots are counted
Did you get a text when election workers opened your primary ballot? And another when it had been accepted for counting, or if it wasn’t and you needed to act? The August primary was Washington’s first election in which voters statewide could sign up for text updates as their ballots were received and accepted by […]
Voters favor recall of gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird from school board
Republican gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird was on his way this week to being removed by voters from the Richland School Board in Benton County. In Wednesday afternoon’s tally, around 56% backed the recall of Bird, who won a seat on the board in 2021 and was one of the first candidates to enter next year’s […]