Commissioner Pos. 3
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Pearson | 11,125 | 80.59% |
| Kristopher Pockell | 2,679 | 19.41% |
* 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
Michael Pearson
- Age:
- 72
- City:
- Spokane Valley, WA
- Occupation:
- Retired superintendent of Central Valley School District
His words: “Financially, we’re in great shape. Not because of me, but because of past boards and current practices.” The department is debt free, but there are concerns about possible steep increases to Labor and Industry fees.
His pitch: He plans to keep working on improving the department’s Washington Survey and Rating Bureau score to lower homeowner insurance rates. “We have people working on that constantly.” He also wants to expand the department’s role in working with other agencies on community medicine. He said he has experience working with large budgets and high numbers of employees.
Notable experience: Has served as a Spokane Valley Fire Department Commissioner since 2013. He previously worked for the Central Valley School District for 30 years, beginning as a teacher and retiring as superintendent.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Washington University, master’s in education administration from Whitworth University, superintendent certificate from Washington State University.
Kristopher Pockell
- Age:
- 36
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Education: Graduated from Central Valley High School in 2006. Earned a bachelor's degree in software development in 2018, and a master of business administration degree in 2021, both from Western Governors University.
Work experience: Worked as a machinist at USWP Manufacturing, Mackay manufacturing and Romney Motion before returning to higher education. Spent three years as a software engineer at AssetWorks LLC before joining OpenEye in 2019. Now serves as a software engineering manager for OpenEye. Co-owns and operates Elixir Sauce Company, established in 2021.
Political experience: Ran for a Spokane Valley Fire District commission seat in 2015.
Family: Married to Rebekah Pockell.
Campaign contributions: Has reported a $200 donation to himself as of Aug. 23, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Complete Coverage
Retired school superintendent faces former student in election
The race for the only contested Spokane Valley Fire Department commissioner seat is between the former Central Valley School District superintendent and one of his former students.