City Council Northeast seat (District 1)
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Fagan (N) | 6,412 | 52.23% |
| Donna McKereghan | 5,865 | 47.77% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Mike Fagan
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 64
- City:
- Spokane, WA
Why he’s running: Fagan is running to help Spokane maintain the same character it had when he grew up in the city, but also move it forward and navigate its growth.
His pitch: Fagan describes himself as a constituent-facing elected official who has listened to the concerns of residents during his first two terms on the Spokane City Council. Unlike other council members, he says, he does not focus on “social issues” and does not have an “agenda.”
Age: 59 Jan. 1, 1960
Education: Graduated North Central High School in 1978.
Political experience: Fagan has served two terms on the City Council. Former president of Bemiss Neighborhood Council.
Work experience: Co-director of Voters Want More Choices, a group led by Tim Eyman that advocates for lower taxes. Worked as a purchasing officer of a communications company in California in the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Worked at MOR Manufacturing in Post Falls, including as materials manager, from 1997 to 2007. Served in U.S. Army from 1978 until 1987. Co-hosts radio show about local politics.
Family: Married. Has three children.
Donna McKereghan
- Age:
- 71
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- Owns web design company
Education: Graduated from Pasco High School in 1971. Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and humanities from Eastern Washington University in 1992. Master’s in philosophy from Gonzaga University in 1997.
Career: Owns Rave Web Design, a website design company. Former accountant, including for about five years in the 1970s at Boise Cascade.
Political: Former member of the Washington State Legislative Ethics Board. Former chairwoman of the Logan Neighborhood Council.
Family: Divorced. Has adult son.
Related Media
Complete Coverage
Fagan vs. McKereghan, Introduction
Spokane City Council hopefuls Mike Fagan and Donna McKereghan explain why they think they would be the best next council member to serve District 1, which covers Northeast Spokane.
District 1 race draws outspoken council critics
After a packed, six-way primary, voters in northeast Spokane have two unconventional choices to fill the Spokane City Council seat that will be vacated at the end of the year by Bob Apple. Both candidates have clashed with City Hall and were probably the biggest critics of existing city leadership among those who ran in the primary. Both have a bankruptcy in their pasts. Both have longtime ties to Northeast Spokane and have led neighborhood councils. Both have the backing of one council member who serves the district.
Council candidate stays on the air
No candidate for Spokane office has had as much air time this campaign season as Mike Fagan, and he hasn’t had to dig into his campaign funds to get it. Fagan co-hosts a conservative local talk show five mornings a week on KTRW 630 AM, and a couple of his opponents question Fagan’s decision to keep his show while running for office.
Candidate refuses to disclose funds’ source
A Spokane City Council candidate is refusing to disclose where he’s getting thousands of dollars that he says is funding his campaign. Chris Bowen, who is running for an open seat representing Northeast Spokane, claimed in a filing with the state Public Disclosure Commission in May to have spent $18,221 and to have another $14,093 on hand. But he hasn’t filed any required paperwork showing where his money comes from or what he has spent it on.
Northeast Spokane council candidates have all run for office before
To the cynical voter, the crowded field of candidates running to represent northeast Spokane on the City Council could be seen as a list of rejects. Each of the six has run for public office and lost – some multiple times and by wide margins.
Candidates for Council District 1
Gary Pollard, 67 Career: Retired field investigator for Arizona Department of Revenue. Former assembly line worker for Chrysler.
Q&A: Gary Pollard, running for Spokane City Council seat representing Northeast Spokane
Gary Pollard gives his positions on taxes, libraries, streets and other issues facing the city in The Spokesman-Review’s Spokane City Council candidate questionnaire. Pollard faces Mike Fagan, Luke Tolley, Chris Bowen, John Waite and Donna McKereghan in the race for a seat representing Northwest Spokane.
Q&A: John Waite, running for Spokane City Council seat representing Northeast Spokane
John Waite gives his positions on taxes, libraries, streets and other issues facing the city in The Spokesman-Review’s Spokane City Council candidate questionnaire. Waite faces Gary Pollard, Mike Fagan, Luke Tolley, Chris Bowen and Donna McKereghan in the race for a seat representing Northwest Spokane.
Q&A: Luke Tolley, running for Spokane City Council seat representing Northeast Spokane
Luke Tolley gives his positions on taxes, libraries, streets and other issues facing the city in The Spokesman-Review’s Spokane City Council candidate questionnaire. Tolley faces Gary Pollard, Mike Fagan, Chris Bowen, John Waite and Donna McKereghan in the race for a seat representing Northwest Spokane.