Matt Shea
A candidate for State Representative, Position 2, Legislative District 4 (Spokane Valley) in the 2014 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 5
Party: Republican
Age: 50
City: Spokane Valley, WA
Occupation: Lawyer
Education: Graduated from high school in Bellingham. Earned bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Gonzaga University in 1996. Earned law degree from Gonzaga in 2006.
Political experience: Elected to state House every two years since 2008. Serves as assistant ranking minority member on the House’s Labor and Workforce and Judiciary committees.
Work experience: Attorney at M. Casey Law since 2013. Formerly handled personal injury cases at Keith S. Douglass and Associates. Co-founded the Washington Family Foundation. Served 4 ½ years in the army, entering as a lieutenant in 1996, including eight months in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Later served 11 months in Iraq as a captain in the Army and Army National Guard.
Family: Divorced and remarried. No children.
Contact information
More about Matt Shea
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Shea (R) | 14,483 | 55.50% |
| Josh Arritola (R) | 11,613 | 44.50% |
Related Coverage
Washington election: Campaigns spending heavily as deadline nears
OLYMPIA – With control of the Washington Senate in the balance, legislative candidates could pull in record amounts of money, and some ballot measure campaigns are spending heavily as the election deadline approaches. Their fates may be decided by a relatively small number of voters. Early turnout is light throughout the state, and less than half of Spokane County’s eligible voters are expected to return their ballots this fall.
Shea, Arritola fight for 4th District
There was a moment in last week’s sole debate between state Rep. Matt Shea and his challenger, Josh Arritola, that summed up the race between the two Republicans. Arritola dispensed with a question regarding his disbelief in the human impact of climate change and pivoted to a recitation of fees connected to an off-road vehicle law Shea sponsored.
4th District legislative candidate Q-and-A
Legislative candidates for the state House Position 2 in the 4th Legislative District were allowed 50 words to respond to each of five questions. The incumbent in the race, state Rep. Matt Shea, did not respond to repeated requests to participate in this candidate Q&A.
Shawn Vestal: Arritola, Shea both were in good form for debate
Everybody says they want more civility in politics. But there is nothing quite so bracing as an old-fashioned political fistfight in a room full of people who give a damn. Josh Arritola and Rep. Matt Shea swung hard at each other Monday night, in what will probably be the sole debate between the two Republican candidates for a 4th District legislative seat. The room was packed and buzzing, and each candidate was well-prepared with specifics and fast on his feet. As with a prize fight, one might have wondered just who was edified by the spectacle, but it was fun as heck to watch.
Shea, Arritola spar in GOP debate; Wilhite, McCaslin outline stances
Twenty minutes before a Republican debate in Spokane Valley, the Greenacres venue filled to capacity and late-comers were being turned away. The room, packed with 150 people, became stifling with heat. It didn’t take much longer for things to heat up between the candidates.
Republican incumbents carry the day in local races
A slate of inconsequential primaries delivered results Tuesday night as both candidates in a number of two-person races moved forward to November’s general election with a better idea of where their support lies. It was a night for incumbents in the Republican Party as state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and state Rep. Matt Shea all took commanding leads of at least 10 percentage points over their opponents. In the largest spread, Knezovich walloped his challenger, Doug Orr, besting him by 33,000 votes of just 74,000 cast in early returns.
Shawn Vestal: GOP shies from criticizing Matt Shea publicly
Did you know Matt Shea was an Oath Keeper? Did you know he likes to sit around with other Oath Keepers – self-declared patriots and apocalyptic prophets – and check out night-vision goggles and talk about guns?
High-profile challengers in race for Washington’s 4th District state House seat
State Rep. Leonard Christian is an incumbent in the unusual position of facing two primary opponents who have as much or more name recognition as he has. Christian, who was appointed a state representative early this year to fill a vacancy, is challenged by Diana Wilhite, a former Spokane Valley mayor who has been active in local politics for decades, and Bob McCaslin, who shares the name of his late father who served in the state Senate for more than 30 years.
Doug Clark: Spokane saddled with Bundy buddy Shea
Today I’d like to make an endorsement. And that is to return Matt Shea.