Spokane County District Court Judge, Position 5
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Gregory J. Tripp | 85,727 | 74.74% |
| Richard Reierson | 28,979 | 25.26% |
* 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.
About the Race
This race pits longtime incumbent Judge Gregory Tripp against challenger James Richard Reierson, a former Kootenai County deputy prosecutor who resigned his position in August to campaign full time. Tripp was appointed to his position in 1997 and has been elected four times since then. Tripp said he wants everyone who appears in his court to feel like they’ve been treated fairly and looks forward to further innovations like drug court, domestic violence court and the option for people to pay their traffic fines in several payments. Reierson said he has been a “zealous” prosecutor and believes it’s time for someone with different experience and a new point of view to take over the position.
The Candidates
Gregory J. Tripp
- Age:
- 76
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- District Court judge
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in business administration. Graduated from Willamette University Law School.
Work experience: Has served as a District Court judge since 1997. Previously was in general private practice. Has been a lawyer for 41 years and has served on numerous legal committees and been active in civic groups.
Political experience: Appointed as a District Court judge in 1997. Won re-election in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Family: Married with two grown children.
Richard Reierson
- Age:
- 74
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- Former Kootenai County deputy prosecutor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Montana. Graduated from University of Arkansas Law School in 1982.
Work experience: Worked for the Kootenai County Prosecutors Office for 15 years before he resigned in August. Served as a deputy prosecutor in Walla Walla. Served in the Navy submarine service after high school.
Political experience: Ran for Spokane County District Court judge in 1998 and 2002 and Spokane County prosecutor in 2006 as a Democrat and again in 2010 as a “Law and Order” candidate. In those previous races he was on the ballot as Jim Reierson. This time, he has decided to go by his middle name, Richard.
Family: Single.
Complete Coverage
Challenger puts limits on Spokane County District Court race
Spokane County District Court Judge Gregory Tripp has many advantages in his race for re-election. Not only is he the incumbent – running for his fifth full term – he also is running against a challenger who is purposefully limiting his campaign.