The four most interesting things I learned in 2014 Spokane County elections
4. Voters at Fairchild Air Force Base support expanded background checks for gun sales – resoundingly.
Initiative 594 won the precinct at Fairchild 72 votes to 38. On the other hand, maybe they don't. Voters there also supported Initiative 591, though not by as much (59 votes to 51)
3. The days of calling the 6th Legislative District a swing district are gone.
When working on an election story recently, I was about to refer to the 6th as a swing district when my colleague, Jim Camden, reminded me that it only really swung for two elections. I might argue that the closeness of some other races besides the 2006 and 2008 cycles when Democrats won seats in the district made it a legitimate swing district longer than that, but his point is accurate; the 6th Legislative District, especially since redistricting, is Republican territory even when Democrats attract a well-known candidate and spend big.
2. Spokane loves its parks and loves its smooth streets even more.
Recent controversies about salaries of Mayor David Condon and other administrators at City Hall made many city leaders worried that voters would turn against the street levy and, especially, the park bond.
But whatever griping you might hear about City Hall, city leaders apparently have earned the trust of voters when it comes to streets and parks. Considering that voters under Mayor John Powers rejected a street tax at a time when streets clearly were in much worse condition, passing the street levy with nearly 78 percent support is a major turnaround. I’m guessing that the voters’ mood reflects that the city kept its promises after voters approved a street tax in 2004 under Mayor Jim West.
1. A Democrat will do better against conservative Republican state Rep. Matt Shea than another conservative Republican.
Josh Arritola – who seemed like he spent much of the campaign trying to run to the right of Shea, lost to him 57.2 percent to 41.9 percent.
Two years ago, when Shea was challenged by former Spokane County Democratic Party Chairwoman Amy Biviano, the race was closer (56.6 percent for Shea to 43.2 percent for Biviano).
That shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Democrats who run in the 4th Legislative District consistently get more than 40 percent of the vote. And Arritola didn’t give Democrats much of a reason to vote for him.
