Spokane City Council, northeast district
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Cathcart | 6,444 | 53.54% |
| Tim Benn (N) | 5,592 | 46.46% |
* 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
The Candidates
Michael Cathcart
- Age:
- 39
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Went to University High School. Graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor's degree in motion picture arts.
Political experience: Elected to the the Spokane City Council in 2019, and currently serves as the Spokane City Council president pro tem. Ran unsuccessfully for Spokane County commissioner in 2022. Serves as Spokane’s representative to the Regional Broadlinc Public Development Authority, chair of the Public Safety Committee, chair of the Northeast Public Development Authority, chair of the police and fire pension boards, vice-chair of the Finance Committee, and a current member of the Budget Committee, Spokane Police Advisory Committee and Traffic Calming Committee. Formerly served as vice chair of the Spokane City Council Public Infrastructure & Environment Committee, council liaison for the Spokane Park Board, council liaison for the city’s Employees Retirement System, volunteer for the Spokane Lunar New Year Celebration, chair of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council, member of the city’s In-Fill Housing Steering Committee and a member of the Mayor’s Quality and Affordable Housing Taskforce.
Work experience: Spent five years as executive director of Better Spokane, a pro-business organization. Worked as an aide for former 6th Legislative District Sen. Michael Baumgartner. Former government affairs director for the Spokane Home Builders Association.
Family: Married to Vina (Tran) Cathcart. Has a young son.
Political donations: Reported nearly $63,800 as of Oct. 3. Top donors include the Association of Builders and Contractors Political Action Committee, the Build East Political Action Commission, Spokane Realtors, the Spokane Homebuilders Association, manufacturing and engineering firm Pyrotek, and George, Jennifer, Theresa and Ryan Gee of the Gee Automotive Holdings company.
Tim Benn
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 46
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- Co-owner of day-care center
His words: "I don’t think a lot has changed. I still don’t see a City Council that’s focused on the issues that I’ve heard about over the years, being active in the community."
His pitch: A long history as a district resident and previous work lobbying City Hall for school safety measures in the northeast are both reasons voters should support Benn's candidacy, he said. He criticized the current City Council for focusing too much on ideological issues and being forced to backtrack on certain decisions when he said they stepped outside their authority. More needs to be done to inform residents in the district about planned construction ahead of completion of the North Spokane Corridor highway, he said, and the homelessness issue in the town should be addressed by restricting the flow of illicit drugs onto Spokane's streets.
Work experience: Owns a child day care center, Little Precious Ones, with his wife in the Minnehaha neighborhood of North Spokane.
Education: Graduated from Faith Christian Academy in 1996. Received associate degrees from Spokane Community College in general business, business management and marketing in 2005. Received child development associate’s degree from Blue Prints for Learning in 2011.
Political experience: Defeated in 2017 campaign for the northeast district seat by City Councilwoman Kate Burke. Defeated in 2012 and 2014 general elections as Republican candidate to represent Legislative District 3 in Washington House of Representatives, both to Marcus Riccelli. Current chairman of Minnehaha Neighborhood Council. Led effort to challenge day-care regulations that he says are duplicative and burdensome.
Family: Married. Two adult sons, and a daughter in high school.
Neighborhood: Minnehaha
Related Media
Complete Coverage
New Councilman Cathcart wants community policing in his district
Mayor Nadine Woodward is moving quickly to identify and open a new downtown police precinct focused on community-oriented law enforcement, with more officers patrolling on foot and bike. New City Councilman Michael Cathcart likes that plan so much he wants to mirror it in northeast Spokane, the district he represents.
Shawn Vestal: Tim Benn’s candidacy ran counter to deluge of special-interest spending
If you are of the view that our politics is too controlled by big money, and that democracy is disfigured by the influence of the money-is-speech brigade, you weren’t disabused of that notion this year. Benn’s candidacy ran counter to all of that.
Realtors boost already big spending on four Spokane candidates, including Nadine Woodward
With a week to go before city elections, the money race in Spokane is gathering speed.
Getting There: Northeast City Council candidates discuss North Spokane Corridor, street planning, public transit
Northeast Spokane has seen several major transportation construction projects in the past few years, including changes to Crestline and Sprague. An even larger one looms with completion of the North Spokane Corridor. City Council candidates Tim Benn and Michael Cathcart offer their views on those projects, as well as whether car tab fees should be reduced.
City Council debate: Benn vs. Cathcart
At the Oct. 3 Pints and Politics debate, Tim Benn and Michael Cathcart debated city issues related to their race for the District 1 seat on the Spokane City Council.
Spokane’s Proposition 1 would make bargaining between the city and unions public
The proposal is intended to bring more transparency to talks between City Hall and public employees, including clerical and maintenance workers, firefighters and police. The initiative is sponsored by Better Spokane, a pro-business nonprofit that is headed by City Council candidate Michael Cathcart.
Spokane Proposition 2 would outlaw a local income tax, as courts weigh legality of Seattle measure
Sponsor Michael Cathcart said the measure is intended to make sure the city remains competitive in business recruitment.
Shawn Vestal: Realtors and other rich interests are pouring money into funds to back Nadine Woodward and other Spokane candidates
As special-interest money pours into local elections, do donors with $50 to contribute deserve 100 or even 1,000 times less free speech than the deep pockets? What about people without even that?
Northeast Spokane guaranteed a conservative councilman, so Benn, Cathcart highlight experience
Preview of the city council race between Michael Cathcart and Tim Benn in the northeast.
Election preview: Crowded 7-member field of candidates seeks to replace Mike Fagan on Spokane City Council
The open seat to represent northeast Spokane on the City Council has drawn multiple challengers, including seasoned political players and first-time candidates. They all agree, however, that their district has been overlooked at City Hall for dollars to support infrastructure and industry.
Collective bargaining transparency, income tax ban sought by pro-business group at Spokane City Council
The Spokane City Council on Monday will hear two initiatives submitted by Better Spokane, a fiscally conservative group that supports business-friendly political candidates. One would prevent the city from enacting a local income tax, and the second seeks to make collective bargaining open to the public.