Northwest Passages Presents Eastern Washington Debates!

With Patty Murray, Tiffany Smiley, Steve Hobbs, Julie Anderson, and Laurel Demkovich

With control of Congress hanging in the balance, five-time incumbent U.S. Senator Patty Murray debates Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley before a live audience at Gonzaga University. Before that, incumbent Democrat Steve Hobbs will debate nonpartisan Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson to determine who will replace Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who took a job in the Biden administration in the fall of 2021.

Details

Date/Time: Oct. 23, 2022, 3:30 p.m.
Venue: Gonzaga University
Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
211 E. DeSmet Ave.
Spokane, WA 99202

Additional Info

Schedule WA Secretary of State candidate debate between Julie Anderson and Steve Hobbs 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. United States Senate candidate debate between Patty Murray and Tiffany Smiley: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Rules of the Game The format of the evening's debate will be question-and-answer. Candidates will be given 90 seconds to respond to each question, with limited rebuttal at the discretion of the moderator. The candidate to answer first will be decided by a coin toss.

The public will be allowed to submit written questions before the event through the website of the League of Women Voters, as well as in the first 15-20 minutes of the event.

Audience members will not be able to ask questions directly of the candidates during the event. No clapping, shouting, booing, etc., will be tolerated during the forum. No posters, campaign signs, or banners, will be allowed in the theater, and no re-admittance will be permitted. Anyone who does not comply will be escorted from the building.

Moderated By Laurel Demkovich

Sponsored By The League of Women Voters, The Spokesman-Review, Gonzaga University

Special Thanks KSPS, The Washington State Debate Coalition

Broadcast The Senate debate will be broadcast live by KSPS PBS.

Required Reading "Senate candidates Patty Murray, Tiffany Smiley will participate in October debate at Gonzaga University"

Read More Complete coverage of the race

Who to Expect

Patty Murray

Has served as Washington's U.S. Senator since 1993. Served as a state senator from 1989 to 1993. Served on the Shoreline School District Board from 1985 to 1989. Received a bachelor's degree in physical education from Washington State University in 1972. Worked as a preschool teacher.
Tiffany Smiley

Newcomer to politics, running for the U.S. Senate. Has been a veterans advocate since 2005. Worked as a triage nurse. Graduated from Pasco High School in 1989. Received a bachelor's of science in nursing from Whitworth University in 2004.
Steve Hobbs

Current Washington Secretary of State. Was appointed to the office in November 2021. Served in the state Senate from 2007 to 2021. Has served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard for 30 years.
Julie Anderson

Has served as the Pierce County auditor since 2009. Served as a Tacoma City Council member and deputy mayor from 2004 to 2009. Former senior policy adviser for the Washington State Department of Commerce from 2007 to 2009. Former executive director for the Tacoma and Pierce County YWCA from 1998 to 2001.
Laurel Demkovich

Laurel Demkovich came to The Spokesman-Review in June 2020 through a grant received from the Report For America reporter program. She is the legislative reporter in our Olympia Bureau covering Washington state legislature.