Race to represent Spokane in Olympia too close to call

The only contested race in central Spokane’s legislative district is too close to call based on initial results, with less than 500 votes separating the three candidates vying for a state House seat.

Insurance professional Tony Kiepe, who filed as a Republican, holds a narrow lead over former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and Spokane attorney Natasha Hill.

Hill and Stuckart both hope to be the next Democrat elected to the seat vacated by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, who’s the only candidate seeking the district’s Senate seat. Voters in the district have elected Democrats for decades.

As of Tuesday night, Kiepe held 34.2% of the vote, Stuckart had 33.6% and Hill trailed with 31.9%.

The top two will advance to the November election.

Kiepe said he’s feeling positive about the results, but he fell short of the goal he set in the primary. He hoped to secure at least 44% of the vote opening night to show he is a viable candidate to flip the seat for the first time in decades.

Kiepe has stressed loosening state restrictions on development, increasing funding for the criminal justice system and welcoming more insurance providers to the state to drive down consumer costs during his campaign.

Stuckart’s campaign has centered around housing, more funding for public education and environmental issues as his key areas of focus. He learned of the initial results while hosting a watch party at Pacific Pizza in Browne’s Addition.

Stuckart said the initial results made him a little nervous, but it’s a familiar feeling as a seasoned candidate.

“People can be sick of you. People can be tired of you,” Stuckart said. “You can work really hard, and people aren’t agreeing with you. … I’m always nervous.”

Hill has focused on renters, workers and abortion rights in her campaign and hosted a watch party at Cascadia Public House Tuesday.

“I have that confidence. I don’t want to lose that. So I’m very grateful. I think at the end of the day, the voters are gonna have the last say,” she said.

Reporters Z’hanie Weaver, Marton Mezei, Troy Slack and Hazel Guieb contributed to this report.