State Senator
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Baumgartner (R) | 28,299 | 57.48% |
| Rich Cowan (D) | 20,935 | 42.52% |
* 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
Republican incumbent Michael Baumgartner is seeking a second term but faces a challenge from Democrat Rich Cowan in a race that could decide control of the state Senate. Both candidates lost congressional bids two years ago. This legislative district includes much of the South Hill, West Plains and parts of north Spokane. State Senate terms are four years; position pays $42,106 per year.
The Candidates
Michael Baumgartner
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 48
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Pullman High School in 1995, after attending Gonzaga Prep for two years. Graduated from Washington State University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Graduated from Harvard University in 2002 with a master’s degree in public administration.
Work experience: Worked for office of the Crown Prince of Dubai as economic development adviser for about a year starting in June 2002. Worked two years starting in the spring of 2003 for i4, a company that hoped to build a telecommunication network in Saudi Arabia. Worked as Dubai-based business consultant for about a year. Worked as consultant for Hecla Mining related to gold mine in Venezuela for several months in 2006. Worked as economics officer for the U.S. State Department in Iraq for about a year starting in spring 2007. Worked for Civilian Police International, a State Department contractor, in Afghanistan on a counter-narcotics program for about eight months starting in December 2008. Provided pre-deployment advisory to U.S. military on counterinsurgency. Lecturer on counterinsurgency at Sciences Po University in Paris.
Political experience: Has served as Spokane County treasurer after winning election in 2018 and 2022. Previously elected to state Senate in 2010, unseating Democratic incumbent Chris Marr. Re-elected in 2014. Unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell in 2012. Previously served as vice chairman of Senate Ways and Means Committee and chairman of Commerce and Labor committee.
Family: Married to Eleanor Baumgartner. Has four children.
Rich Cowan
- Party:
- Democrat
- Age:
- 68
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- CEO and founder, North by Northwest
RICH COWAN
Education: Graduated from Juanita High School in Kirkland, Wash. in 1974. Earned broadcast journalism degree from Washington State University in 1979. Earned human nutrition master’s degree from WSU in 1984.
Work experience: Co-founded North by Northwest Productions in 1990. Worked as the community affairs director for KHQ-TV from 1986-1990. Served as a firefighter and emergency medical technician at Washington State University while a college student. Served on Community Colleges of Spokane Vocational Advicsory Council in mid-1990s. Former Eagle Scout.
Political experience: Ran for Congress in 2012 against U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Family: Divorced. Has two adult children.
Complete Coverage
WSU medical school in Spokane gets legislative support
OLYMPIA – Identical bills that could pave the way for Washington State University to start its own medical school in Spokane were filed Wednesday in the Senate and House. Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat, and Sen. Mike Baumgartner, a Republican, introduced matching legislation to remove the provision in state law that gives medical school education exclusively to the University of Washington.
Spin Control: Misunderstanding and the case of the dropped ‘S’
OLYMPIA – The Capitol environs are replete with acronyms. Agencies are known by three-letter describers and programs are rarely mentioned by their full names. But last week’s Senate hearing into the shipping slowdowns at the state’s major ports in Seattle and Tacoma highlighted the problems relying too heavily on acronyms.
WALeg Day 3: Shippers duck hearing on port problems
OLYMPIA – Shipping delays at West Coast ports are hurting a wide range of Washington businesses, a pair of Senate committees was told Wednesday. What the Legislature can do about those problems in the short term, however, appears limited.
GOP rule makes passage of new taxes tougher
OLYMPIA – Any new tax in Washington will require support from at least two-thirds of the Senate under a rule change Republicans pushed through the chamber in the early hours of the 2015 session. The change was part of partisan dueling on the opening day of the session. Republicans lost a vote on the position of Senate president pro tem when two members defected to the Democrats, but held together and passed a potentially more consequential rule change.
Will Senate require 2/3rd votes on taxes?
Two GOP senators suggest rule change to require super-majority on tax votes.
Inslee carbon tax plan would help complete North Spokane freeway
SEATTLE – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday proposed an ambitious cap-and-trade program to require the state’s largest industrial polluters to pay for every ton of carbon they release. The proposal, which also would pay for a significant portion of the remaining work needed to complete the North Spokane freeway, was part of a broader package that the Democrat said would help the state meet a 2008 mandate to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. It sets an overall limit on heat-trapping gases similar to a program that California launched nearly three years ago.
State legislators support new medical education model
The legislators backing Washington State University’s bid to establish its own Spokane-based medical school said Tuesday the rural doctor shortage is so severe the state needs more than one approach to physician training. “This is something that is long overdue,” state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said of plans to seek legislative removal of legal restrictions designating the University of Washington as the state’s only medical school.
Legislators want 1917 law revised to allow WSU med school expansion
A pair of Spokane lawmakers will propose legislation to establish the state’s second medical school in Spokane and put it under the control of Washington State University. Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat, and Sen. Mike Baumgartner, a Republican, are to unveil legislation this morning that would change a nearly century-old law that limits medical education to the University of Washington. Their proposal also provides $2.5 million for WSU to seek accreditation for the new school on the Riverpoint Campus, which would concentrate on family and rural medicine disciplines.
Doug Clark: Turn ‘County Crank’ sign prank into cash for food bank
I have a hundred – do I hear $200? Yes. That’s two hundred.
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.
In this corner …
None
Baumgartner: Cowan TV ad misleading
A new TV attack ad by Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan inaccurately portrays Republican incumbent Michael Baumgartner’s voting record on tax breaks. The ad, which began airing on Spokane television stations late last week, correctly notes that state law contains hundreds of “wasteful tax loopholes benefiting out-of-state corporations.” It also is fair to say that Baumgartner supported extending tax breaks for private jet owners and producers of hog fuel in 2013.
6th Legislative District Senate race questions and answers
Both candidates were asked five questions and allowed up to 50 words for each response. Their answers are listed below and appear in the same order as the candidates will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. What is your top priority and how specifically would you achieve that?
UW, WSU to end medical training partnership
The state’s two leading universities are parting ways over medical education and will compete in the Legislature for money to offer their own physician training programs in Spokane. Under an agreement announced Friday evening, Washington State University will push to establish an independent medical school at Spokane’s Riverpoint campus and withdraw from the five-state doctor training program operated in partnership with the University of Washington’s existing medical school. The University of Washington, meanwhile, will push for continued expansion of the five-state program’s Spokane branch and won’t oppose the WSU effort.
WSU, UW negotiating solution over control of medical program
Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan threw his support Thursday behind Washington State University’s bid to operate its own medical school without having to rely on the University of Washington. “We need a world-class medical school headquartered here in Spokane,” Cowan said. “A WSU medical school with its own mission that serves our community and the surrounding area.”