Phillip Tyler

A candidate for Spokane City Council president, City of Spokane in the 2019 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 6

Party: No party

Age: 56

City: Spokane, WA

Why he’s running: Tyler is running because he wants to make a difference in the community. “What I’ve seen and what I’ve heard on the campaign trail and canvassing is that our citizens are frustrated and they’re tired and I consider them a group of the exhausted majority that has grown weary of the oscillation of our current council.”

His pitch: Tyler, a Spokane native, says he possesses leadership skills acquired through his service in the military and his work in the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. He possesses a “unique set of skills” and could bridge gaps not only on the city level, but on the state and federal level as well.

“I have proven that I have that ability to build consensus and help the community come together. And I think that’s what our community is looking for from our council.”

Education: Graduated from Joel E. Ferris High School in 1985.

Work experience: Following his gradation from high school, Tyler joined the U.S. Air Force. He eventually became a corrections officer with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, where he was promoted to a sergeant and then to lieutenant, overseeing the jail’s operations. He served as the president of the Spokane NAACP. Now works as a crime prevention and education officer at Gonzaga University.

Family: Divorced and remarried He has three children; his son, Devon, died in 2017.