Rep. Leonard Christian announces his run for state Senate seat being vacated by Padden
State Rep. Leonard Christian announced his candidacy Thursday for a state Senate seat being vacated by veteran lawmaker and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Padden.
Padden, 77, announced his retirement from the Senate on Wednesday, after a combined 28 legislative sessions representing Spokane Valley.
Christian, who lives in Spokane Valley, has represented the 4th district alongside Padden since 2023, though he briefly held a state House seat in 2014. He ran unsuccessfully against former state Rep. Bob McCaslin Jr. in 2014 and Rep. Rob Chase in 2020 after being eliminated in the primary.
“Spokane’s definitely in our blood, and that’s why I got into politics,” Christian said. “I saw some things in the city and county that were changing, and my wife said, ‘Stop complaining and go do something about it.’ ”
Also joining the race for Padden’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat are Democrat Miguel Valencia and Republican Mike Kelly.
Valencia, born in Spokane and raised in Othello, said in an email his campaign is rooted in genuine representation of the middle class. The U.S. Army veteran is committed to ensuring essential services to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, universal day care throughout the state and is an advocate for union workers.
Kelly, a conservative Spokane Valley businessman, said in a statement his focus is on protecting families and addressing the increase of crime and the cost of living. He’s an advocate for a responsive and accountable government and is endorsed by Padden.
If elected, Christian, 58, is focused on affordability, tax relief and creating safe communities by supporting law enforcement in the Senate.
“I think that people are having a very difficult time with the carbon tax and our fuel being so much higher than the rest of the nation for the most part. People are just having a tough time paying their bills right now,” he said.
Christian also wants to focus on improving the K-12 education system to better understand what it takes for students to graduate and be successful, dialing in on how to improve students’ reading and writing skills.
During his two years in the House, Christian was hands-on with the capital budget, working to secure funding for Spokane in multiple areas, including new day care playground equipment, new boilers for Kaiser Aluminum and dollars for the Hub Sports Center. He also served as the assistant ranking member on the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.
A Spokane native, Christian graduated from Ferris High School in 1984 and served in the U.S. Air Force for over 20 years. He and his wife, Rima, returned to Spokane Valley in 2005, where Christian has worked in real estate since.
“Being retired from the military I don’t necessarily need a job; I do this because I care about the community,” he said.