City Council, Position 6

Election Results

Last updated: Nov. 4, 1:09 p.m.

Candidate	Votes	Pct
Ben Wick	5,852	50.63%
Sam P. Wood	5,706	49.37%

* 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

Ben Wick

Age:: 42
City:: Spokane Valley, Washington

Education: Graduated from East Valley High School in 2000. Graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in computer science in 2004.

Work experience: Works in IT, purchasing, shipping, receiving and production scheduling at Spokane Industries. Also owns the Spokane Valley Current and Liberty Lake Splash.

Political experience: Serving his second term on City Council, currently serving as Spokane Valley mayor. (Spokane Valley City Council chooses a mayor from its council members.)

Family: Married to Danica Wick. Has four children.

Campaign fundraising: Raised $15,900 as of Oct. 11, 2021. Wick has given himself $5,300 in in-kind contributions. Contributors include Katie McKay ($1,000), the political action committee of the Inland Northwest chapter of Associated General Contractors of America ($1,000), contractor and Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney's husband Max Kuney ($500) and Spokane Valley City Councilmembers Brandi Peetz ($114.50), Tim Hattenburg ($55) and Linda Thompson ($62.50).

Sam P. Wood

In his words: “We have to keep taxes and government regulations at a minimum, and be proactive about our relationship with small business.”

His pitch: “I truly believe that rational people, even if they disagree, can come together and find common ground to agree on, and then progress can be made and, in turn, better governance.”

Experience: Serves as chairman of the Carnhope Irrigation District board and on the Spokane Valley Planning Commission, as well as the board of SCOPE. Owned and operated Woodshed Pizza until 1998; owns and operates Wood and Wood Realty and is a real estate appraiser.

Education: Earned bachelor’s in communications from Eastern Washington University in 1996.

Complete Coverage

January 25, 2016 3:02 p.m.

Restroom rules to be deliberated in Spokane Valley Tuesday

Spokane Valley City Council to discuss gender preference bathroom access

January 6, 2016 5:39 p.m.

Wick buys Splash, Current

Former councilman Ben Wick is looking forward to new his new job as publisher of Liberty Lake’s Splash community newspaper

Ben Wick Q&A: A more diverse council, Painted Hills decision on his mind

December 30, 2015

For departing Spokane Valley City Council member Ben Wick, the fifth time was the charm. Wick ran in the first Spokane Valley election, against 51 other people, then applied three times to fill vacant City Council positions before finally being elected in 2011.

November 9, 2015 4:46 p.m.

Wood defeats Wick for Spokane Valley City Council seat

Spokane Valley City Councilman Ben Wick has last his re-election bid to Sam Wood. Wood has a 99-vote lead over Wick in the latest count of ballots, which was released Monday afternoon. Wood has 50.3 percent of the vote to Wick’s 47.3 percent. The difference falls just outside the amount that would force an automatic recount. The candidates would have to be within a half percentage point for the election office to perform a recount.

November 4, 2015 5:19 p.m.