House Pos. 2
Election Results
Candidate | Votes | Pct |
---|---|---|
Rob Chase (R) | 10,025 | 24.40% |
Ted Cummings (D) | 9,886 | 24.06% |
Brandi Peetz (R) | 9,408 | 22.89% |
Michael Schmidt (R) | 6,715 | 16.34% |
Ed “Woody” Wood (D) | 3,466 | 8.43% |
Stephen Major (R) | 1,592 | 3.87% |
* 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.
Results by Precinct
The Candidates
Rob Chase
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 71
Education: Graduated from Kellogg High School in 1972. Graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations management.
Work experience: Is semiretired, but has recently worked as a U.S. Census Bureau enumerator and security guard for Phoenix Protective Corps in Spokane Valley. Worked as an expeditor with Haakon Industries based in Cheney from 2006 to 2007. Held mortgage origination and real estate licenses. Served in U.S. Army Reserves from 1972-1978. Now volunteers with Spokane Fatherhood Initiative.
Political experience: Elected as a state representative in 2020. Served one term and lost his re-election bid in 2022. Elected Spokane County treasurer in 2010 and 2014. Republican Party precinct committee officer. Ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2000, U.S. House in 2002, Spokane County commissioner in 2012 and 2018, and Spokane Valley City Council in 2023. Served as Eastern Washington coordinator for Ron Paul for President in 2008 and 2012, and Eastern Washington coordinator for Clint Didier’s 2010 Senate campaign.
Family: Married to Chris Chase and has four children.
Campaign contributions: Has raised more than $16,700 as of Oct. 2, including a $400 loan to himself. Notable donors include the Spokane Home Builders Association; outgoing state Sen. Mike Padden and his wife, Spokane Valley City Councilwoman Laura Padden; Spokane County GOP Chair MJ Bolt; Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley; Spokane Valley Councilman Rod Higgins; the Idaho Free Enterprise Institute; Mary Moldenhauer, widow of esteemed musicologist Hans Moldenhauer; and Duane Alton, a prolific donor to conservative politicians and causes who founded Alton’s Tires.
Ted Cummings
- 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.
Brandi Peetz
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from Gonzaga University and an associate degree from Spokane Community College.
Political experience: Served on the Spokane Valley City Council from late 2017 until 2023. Served as Spokane Valley deputy mayor. Former vice president of student government at Spokane Community College.
Work experience: Former office manager for Stahl Optical. Was a 911 operator and program support specialist at Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council. Served on the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens Advisory Board.
Family: Married to Chad Peetz.
Campaign contributions: Has raised nearly $9,900 as of July 2. Notable donors include outgoing Rep. Leonard Christian, Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, Rick Wilhite – husband of former Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite, and former Spokane Valley City Councilman Dean Grafos.
Michael Schmidt
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Mead, Washington
Education: Graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1980. Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from Washington State University in 1985.
Political experience: First time running for a public office.
Work experience: Owns and operates Schmidt Cattle Company, a family ranch in Green Bluff. Has spent time on commercial fishing boats in Alaska. Does some livestock brokering and has been a real estate broker with John L. Scott for past six years.
Family: Married to Carol Ann Schmidt. Has three adult sons, the oldest of which is Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jeremy Schmidt. Has five grandkidschildren.
Campaign contributions: Has raised $32,691 as of July 2. Top donors include the political action committee for the Washington chapter of the Association of Builders and Contractors and the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors; James and Barbara Larkin, the former of which is the former Ppresident of Romac Industries; and local development company Harley Douglass Inc. Stephen Major, also a candidate for the Pos. 2 seat, donated $500 to Schmidt.
Ed "Woody" Wood
- Party:
- Democratic
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1965.
Political experience: First run for elected office. Former chair of Spokane County Democrats.
Work experience: Retired from CenturyLink after 40 years. Served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War as a communications technician. Three-time former president and current executive vice president of Local 7818, the Spokane- brandch of the Communications Workers of America.
Family: Married to Susan Wood, has one adult daughter, adult stepson. Two of his children have died. He and his wife currently care for two teenage foster children and are ardent supporters of the foster care system.
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.
Stephen Major
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 60
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Education: Graduated from Kellogg High School in Kellogg, Idaho, in 1982. Earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, with an emphasis in international relations, in 1990. Some work toward a graduate degree at Eastern Washington University in 2009.
Political experience: Ran for Congress against Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2020. Served off-and-on as a precinct committee officer for the Republican Party in Spokane Valley since 2006.
Work experience: Served as a U.S. Army infantryman from 1983 to 1986. Worked in financial lending during college and established own investor services firm in 2005. Owner of tour company Extreme Expeditions Northwest.
Family: Married. Has an adult daughter and adult son.
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.
Complete Coverage
Candidate Conversations: Rob Chase, candidate for 4th district representative
Spokesman-Review reporter Nick Gibson and 4th legislative district candidate Rob Chase, who previously served in the Legislature and as Spokane County Treasurer from 2010 to 2018, join the Candidate Conversations podcast to talk about Chase’s goals and the challenges presented against his beliefs. (This video contains Chase’s opinions about the use of ivermectin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stressed that clinical trials “do not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID 19 in humans.” Further, the FDA says using ivermectin to treat COVID can be harmful and that it has received reports of patients who needed hospitalization “after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for animals.”)
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