Spokane City Council president
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Breean L. Beggs (N) | 33,586 | 50.72% |
| Cindy Wendle (N) | 32,629 | 49.28% |
* 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
Breean L. Beggs
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 61
- City:
- Spokane, WA
Why he’s running: Beggs is running for a second term amid what he believes is a wave of momentum behind the city. “Spokane is, right now, what I call ‘in play.’ It can really take the next step, and the momentum is strong. I’m someone who brings people together, especially from opposing viewpoints. I have enough knowledge with 3 three and a half years on the council to really facilitate moving forward together.”
His pitch: In his three-plus years on the City Council, Beggs believes he has established himself as a member who brings people together from opposing viewpoints and finds compromise. Beggs has been deployed to find common ground in the city’s approach to emergency communications.
Education: Graduated from Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington. Earned a bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University in 1985 and a law degree from University of Washington School of Law in 1991.
Political experience: Beggs was first nominated to fill a vacancy on the City Council in 2016. He won election to that same seat in 2017. He lost the race for Spokane County prosecutor in 2014.
Work experience: Beggs, an attorney, worked as the director of the Center for Justice from 2004 to 2010. He represented the family of Otto Zehm in a lawsuit against the city. Works as a private practice attorney in Spokane with Paukert & Troppmann PLLC.
Family: Married. Has three children.
Cindy Wendle
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 50
- City:
- Spokane, WA
Why she’s running: Cindy Wendle is running for City Council president to put people first, put politics aside, and ask why the city does the things it does.
Her pitch: Wendle’s inexperience in city politics is an asset, she believes. The current council members seeking the presidency are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, Wendle argues. She has positioned herself as a nonpartisan candidate for a nonpartisan race. She’s also the only woman seeking the job.
Education: Graduated from Pullman High School in 1992 and the University of Washington with a business degree in 1996.
Work Experience: Co-owner, along with her husband, Chud Wendle, of Northtown Square, a shopping center opened in 2009 on the site of the former Wendle Motors dealership. Works as commercial real estate manager for Northtown Square. Previously helped Washington Trust Bank expand with new branches in Pullman, Moscow, and Lewiston, before managing the main branch in Spokane.
Family: Married. Has three children.
Complete Coverage
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Stripped of party support, Rep. Matt Shea arrives in Olympia amid calls for his resignation
Shea started the 2020 legislative session on a defiant note Monday, continuing to refuse bipartisan calls for his resignation even as he was stripped of his committee assignments and relegated to a seat in the back of the House floor.
Spokane City Council appoints Betsy Wilkerson to replace Beggs
Heeding her offer of a “different perspective,” the Spokane City Council unanimously appointed Betsy Wilkerson to the vacant seat in District 2. Upon her swearing-in, Wilkerson will become the first African-American member on the council in nearly 20 years, and the only nonwhite member of the current council.
Spokane City Council to choose from seven finalists for open seat on Monday
From nonprofit leaders to independent business owners, the Spokane City Council will weigh a diverse set of seven finalists for a vacant seat and select a winner on Monday.
Spokane City Council chooses 7 finalists for vacant seat ahead of planned Monday vote
The Spokane City Council narrowed down a list of 32 applicants for the seat vacated by Council President Breean Beggs to seven finalists ahead of a vote at Monday’s council meeting.
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward to join City Council as both pledge harmony
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Mike Fagan earns high praise, even from political opposites, for approach on City Council
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City releases list of 30 applicants aiming to fill Breean Beggs’ council seat
More than 30 people applied for the Spokane City Council District 2 seat — which was vacated by now-Council President Breean Beggs —and their experiences range from recent political candidates and government officials to blue collar workers and grassroots activists.
Nadine Woodward sworn in as Spokane’s mayor
Longtime Spokane television news anchor Nadine Woodward was sworn in as the city’s 45th mayor on Monday in a ceremony at the U.S. Pavilion at Riverfront Park, its netting illuminated in her campaign colors of blue and purple and pierced by the white streaks of dancing snowflakes.
Getting There: Spokane considering other tax options for roads after passage of I-976
Tim Eyman’s $30 car tab initiative has put the city in a bind trying to come up with cash for its future road projects. City Council President-elect Breean Beggs is eyeing a potential property tax levy to make up for the lost funds, but will voters have the appetite?
Woodward’s New Year’s resolutions: move police precinct, solve homelessness and heal council rift
In part due to her choice to retain top leaders across multiple city departments, Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward and other city leaders are confident her transition into office will be a relatively smooth one – no matter what Spokane throws at her.
Parks supervisor, accused of harassing gay employee, to receive $100,000 settlement
The Spokane City Council narrowly approved a settlement with Adriano Eva, the parks supervisor who was laid off after he was accused of inappropriately treating a gay subordinate.
Calling all Candidates: Spokane City Council soliciting applications for open position
The City Council has a plan to replace Breean Beggs, who will move from District 2 representative to City Council President in January.
Beggs eyes criminal justice reform in Spokane budget proposals
Making good on a centerpiece of his successful bid for City Council President in November, Councilman Breean Beggs introduced a set of proposals to kick-start deep reform to the city’s criminal justice system on Wednesday.
Spokane City Council proposes expansion of its budget; mayor cries foul
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Spokane sales tax will fund affordable housing after measure passes council
The Spokane City Council unanimously adopted legislation on Monday that will redirect a portion of the state’s sales tax revenue into local affordable housing projects.
Spokane landlords would need ‘specific cause’ to evict renters under City Council proposal
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Spokane officials working on new agreement for Yellowstone pipeline
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Mayor-elect Woodward, City Council may find common ground on downtown policing
Over the course of four years, there’s sure to be plenty for Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward and incoming Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs to disagree about. But the two politicians, who sat down for a meeting on Friday, see an early opportunity for collaboration in the form of a new downtown police precinct.
Hoping to avoid conflict, Stuckart to make quiet exit and hand reins to Beggs
With just a handful of meetings left, the outgoing two-term City Council president has informally ceded his post to Councilman Breean Beggs, who will be sworn in as the new City Council president in January.