Ted Cummings
A candidate for 4th District Representative, Position 1, Legislative District 4 (Spokane Valley) in the 2018 Washington General Election, Nov. 6
Party: Democratic
Age: 63
City: Chattaroy, Washington
Education: Graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School in 1979. Earned an associate degree from Spokane Community College in 1997.
Work experience: Worked at Kaiser Aluminum’s Mead smelter from 1988 until a strike and lockout in 1998. Worked as a supervisor for Alcoa Aluminum in New York from 1998 to 2004. Returned to Kaiser in 2004 at the company’s Trentwood plant. Has served as a vice president for the Washington State Labor Council since 2018.
Political experience: Ran for U.S. Senate in 2016. Ran for state representative in the 4th Legislative District against Matt Shea in 2018. Ran for Spokane County commissioner against Josh Kerns in 2020. Ran for state House Position 1 in the 4th Legislative District in 2022.
Family: Married to Denise Cummings. Has two adult sons and one granddaughter.
Campaign contributions: Opted for mini-filer path, meaning he does not need to report donations or expenditures as long as totals remain below $7,000.
Contact information
- Web: tedcummings.com
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Shea (R) | 39,572 | 57.74% |
| Ted Cummings (D) | 28,963 | 42.26% |
Related Coverage
Matt Shea, Bob McCaslin sweep Democratic hopefuls in Spokane Valley’s 4th Legislative District
Republican state Reps. Matt Shea and Bob McCaslin have fended off Democratic challengers in Eastern Washington’s 4th Legislative District.
Avista, BNSF join list of donors seeking refunds from Shea campaign
Avista Corp. and the BNSF Railway Co. on Friday joined the list of organizations requesting refunds from state Rep. Matt Shea’s re-election campaign. Both companies this year donated $2,000 to Shea’s campaign, the maximum allowed under state law. They want that money back now that the Spokane Valley Republican is under fire for distributing a document titled “Biblical Basis for War,” which spells out how a “Holy Army” should punish those who flout “biblical law.”
AT&T, Washington Realtors seek Shea campaign refunds over ‘Biblical Basis for War’ manifesto
Two more organizations demanded money back from state Rep. Matt Shea’s re-election campaign on Thursday, while others denounced his rhetoric and said they would not support him in future elections. The latest controversy surrounding the Spokane Valley Republican also garnered national media attention, and his Democratic opponent reported a last-minute burst of small campaign donations from across the country.
At least one of Rep. Matt Shea’s campaign donors wants money back
The political arm of the Northwest Credit Union Association, which represents 180 credit unions in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, gave $1,000 to Shea’s campaign this year but recently asked the campaign to return the money. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman told Spokane Public Radio the association had reviewed Shea’s social media activity and determined “his beliefs do not reflect the views and values of our organization, member credit unions or customers.”
Spokane Valley Reps. Matt Shea and Bob McCaslin debate Democratic challengers Ted Cummings and Mary May
Candidates for the two House positions representing the 4th Legislative District shared vastly different views on health care, organized labor, immigration and other issues during a pair of debates Tuesday evening hosted by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Matt Shea’s challenger for 4th District House seat Ted Cummings offers different version of Democrat
Ted Cummings admits he didn’t pay much attention to state Rep. Matt Shea until early this year, when he noticed the Spokane Valley legislator had introduced a bill that aimed to cripple labor unions. The so-called “right to work” proposal, which never passed out of committee, was anathema to Cummings, a longtime Kaiser Aluminum employee and member of the Steelworkers union. The phrase “right to work,” he said, is “a misnomer,” that’s “designed to steal from working men and women.” He recalled thinking, “Why would I elect a representative for my state to actively work against my interests?”