It’s now Spokane Mayor-Elect Condon

What’s been considered likely since Tuesday night is now certain. Spokane will have a new mayor on Jan. 1. David Condon, the former deputy chief of staff of Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, claimed enough votes on Thursday to make any last-minute, shocking comeback by Mayor Mary Verner unrealistic. On Thursday, in the third count of ballots, Condon’s lead grew to 2,699. He leads with 52.4 percent of the vote. Although there are about 4,300 votes left, Verner would need to win more than 80 percent of those, and nothing in any previous count indicates that’s possible. Turnout was high for an odd-year election with 56.9 percent of those getting a ballot returning them. That’s the most for an odd-year in Spokane County since 1999. Support for Spokane Proposition 1, the Community Bill of Rights, fell in the third day of counting. It now trails by 918 votes. Meanwhile, the race for the Spokane City Council seat representing south Spokane inched closer. Mike Allen now leads incumbent Richard Rush by only 152 votes. But with only 1,800 votes left to count, Rush is running out of ballots to make up the difference. In Spokane Valley, Ben Wick made a significant leap in Thursday’s count, making a full sweep of the “Positive Change” ticket less likely. His lead over Marilyn Cline is now nearly 300 votes with only 1,700 ballots left to count.