Spokane County voters favor GOP candidates

The Spokane County Board of Commissioners will retain its all-Republican tilt after incumbent Al French beat down a tough challenge from political newcomer Mary Lou Johnson with 53 percent of the vote Tuesday. “That was actually better than our numbers showed,” a hoarse French said Tuesday night at the Davenport Hotel, where the Republican Party celebrated a spate of victories that secured their continued control of county offices. “We’re really glad the voters saw value in what we’ve done to bring jobs into the community.” Trailing by about 6,000 votes Tuesday night, Democratic challenger Johnson said she wasn’t ready to concede the race to French until she had analyzed the results in greater detail. “I need to look at the precinct results and see,” Johnson said. “I don’t know where my strong precincts were yet.” French’s lead typifies the dominant performance of GOP candidates and incumbents at the county level, despite signs in August that Democrats might be able to attain office in a government that has grown increasingly right-leaning in recent years. Only Vicky Dalton, the Democrat who has served as county auditor for 16 years, emerged victorious from Tuesday’s election. A beaming Larry Haskell wrapped his arm around fellow victorious GOP candidate Tim Fitzgerald as the results were read over the din of happy Republican supporters. Haskell defeated Democrat Breean Beggs for county prosecutor in a race that focused on promised change in the criminal justice system. “The message that I tried to convey throughout the campaign was that I’m in favor of the Blueprint (for Reform) … but that I’m also going to hold people accountable,” said Haskell, referring to a set of recommendations that Beggs helped draft which call for changes in all facets of the criminal justice system, from the court systems to the county jail. Ozzie Knezovich duplicated his performance from the primary for sheriff, outpacing fellow Republican challenger and Spokane police Detective Doug Orr by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. Knezovich credited voters with understanding what he called “a high standard” he holds for his deputies and said an attempt to publicize an alleged assault at a recent candidate forum backfired on his opponents. “I can tell you that, the last week, they hurt themselves, and they hurt themselves badly,” Knezovich said. Orr made no mention of the alleged assault in a post to his Facebook page, thanking volunteers for their support. “I promise you, we can accomplish great things together no matter what the outcome of this evening’s returns,” Orr wrote. Fitzgerald, who inherited the county clerk’s position from longtime officeholder Tom Fallquist in April, said he was humbled by what he called a “vote of confidence” from the county. The Republican defeated Democratic candidate Mary Wissink, who made the ballot after a successful write-in campaign in August, with 58 percent of the vote to Wissink’s 41 percent. “We’re going to continue modernizing the clerk’s office,” said Fitzgerald, surrounded by many members of his staff. “That’s our No. 1 priority.” Republican Vicki Horton will retain the office of county assessor after defeating fellow Republican opponent Roger Trainor with 70 percent of the vote. “I feel awesome; I feel privileged; I feel blessed,” Horton said. Treasurer Rob Chase defeated Democratic challenger Amy Biviano, garnering 55 percent of the vote, rounding out the Republican near-sweep Tuesday. In the nonpartisan races, all district judges but Randy A. Brandt appeared headed to another term. Newcomer Aimee Maurer was leading Brandt by about 1,700 votes late Tuesday.