Spokane Valley Fire Commission Position 3
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Freier | 21,263 | 69.31% |
| George Orr | 9,416 | 30.69% |
* 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
Rick Freier
- Age:
- 54
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Education: Graduated from Othello High School in 1989. Earned a criminal justice degree from Spokane Community College in 2015.
Political experience: None.
Work experience: Served in the Marine Corps, retired as a first sergeant. Spent 24 years as a firefighter and fire investigator with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Family: Married to Kristin Freier. Has three daughters.
Fundraising: Freier has opted for the Public Disclosure Commission’s “mini reporting” option. As long as he raises less than $7,000, he doesn’t have to disclose individual donors or donation amounts. In an interview, Freier shared that the Spokane Valley firefighters’ union has donated to his campaign.
George Orr
- Age:
- 82
Education: Graduated from St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, California in 1960.
Political experience: Served on the Central Valley school board from 1984 to 1990. Was a Democratic state representative for Spokane Valley from 1991 to 1995. Unsuccessfully ran for state Senate in 1996 and the Spokane County Commission in 2004. Has served on the Washington State Gambling Commission and state Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Work experience: Served in the Navy as a machinist’s mate in the South China Sea in the 1960s. Worked as an apprentice lineman, meter reader and line digger for Avista. Spent more than 30 years as a firefighter with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Family: Married to Judy Orr. Has two daughters.
Fundraising: Has raised more than $4,300 as of Sept. 26. Notable donors include the Spokane Valley firefighters’ union, the Democratic Party’s fundraising arm in the 4th Legislative District and Spokane Valley City Councilman Tim Hattenburg.
Complete Coverage
Orr faces Freier in race for Spokane Valley fire commission
Both candidates had decades-long careers with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Rick Freier captures most votes in race for Spokane Valley Fire Commission
Former fire investigator Rick Freier has easily clinched a spot in the November election following Tuesday’s primary, but it isn’t yet clear who will face him this fall in the race for an open seat on the board that oversees the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Three familiar names on the ballot for Spokane Valley fire board
Rick Freier, George Orr and Diana Wilhite all want to join the board that oversees the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Rick Freier, longtime firefighter and handler of arson dog Mako, retires from service in Spokane Valley
Rick Freier’s retirement party Friday wasn’t just about saying farewell to his colleagues, it was also about raising money for Toys for Tots, a program near and dear to his heart.
‘Good dog’: Firefighting Labrador retriever Mako dies after prolific career in Spokane Valley
Mako the arson dog, who dedicated years of his life to investigating fires in the Northwest and worked even after he had officially hung up his badge, died earlier this month. He was almost 14 years old.