Hill, Riccelli win seats to state House, Senate in 3rd District; Republicans sweep races in 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th districts

Spokane and Spokane Valley voters helped the candidates favored to win in each of their respective state House and state Senate races breathe a sigh of relief Tuesday.

After the first round of ballot counting dropped Tuesday, Republican candidates held leads in all three of Washington’s 4th Legislative District races, where voters have elected conservative representatives for decades.

In Washington’s 3rd Legislative District, encompassing much of Spokane, Democrats Natasha Hill and state Rep. Marcus Riccelli won a state House position and state Senate seat, respectively.

3rd Legislative District

Hill easily defeated Republican Tony Kiepe to win a seat in the state House, taking 59.5% of the vote.

Hill is a lawyer and community organizer who unsuccessfully ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2022. Kiepe is an insurance agent who has twice unsuccessfully run for city council. The result keeps the district covering downtown Spokane in Democratic hands as incumbent Riccelli opted to run for state Senate in the district.

Hill called her victory “historic” as the first Black woman to be elected in the district.

Riccelli defeated Republican Jim Wilson for the Senate seat with 61.5% of the vote. He will replace state Sen. Andy Billig, the Senate majority leader, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election

Long a member of House Democratic leadership, Riccelli hinted that he was likely to serve some position in Senate Democratic leadership even as a freshman.

“It is really important for an Eastern Washington voice to be at the Democratic leadership table,” he said Tuesday night. “I have been approached for an opportunity in leadership. It is unusual for someone just elected, but I think it’s a testament to the work I’ve done on behalf of Eastern Washington.”

4th Legislative District

All three Republicans running to represent Spokane Valley and the surrounding area in the state Legislature appeared on track to win their seats Tuesday night.

The three races in Washington’s 4th Legislative District were not expected to be competitive contests. Since 1994, voters in the district have overwhelmingly favored Republican candidates when choosing who may represent them in Olympia.

Incumbent Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, who’s seeking re-election for the first time, received 68.6% of the ballots tabulated, defeating independent challenger Kristopher Pockell.

Pockell, a software engineer who co-owns the hot sauce company Elixir Sauce Co., previously ran for a Spokane Valley Fire District commission seat in 2015.

Schmidt said she was pleased by the results. After receiving 68% of the vote in the three -candidate August primary, Schmidt said she had already begun drafting legislation a few weeks later. During her campaign, she said she intends to work on legislation intended to assist law enforcement agencies with recruitment and retention, support small businesses and lower the cost of living.

“When I’m going door to door hearing people, and they’re talking about inflation and the cost of living and the wages and things like that, it’s very clear to me that we need to help people find those career paths where they can get better paying jobs, they can get those skills that they need to get, the above -minimum -wage jobs,” Schmidt said.

State Rep. Leonard Christian will advance to the Senate, after receiving 63.8% of the votes counted thus far. He defeated Democrat Miguel Valencia, a veteran and law student.

Christian, who received 22% of votes to advance out of a primary crowded with Republican candidates, said he looks forward to the move up to the state Senate. He was elected to his state House seat in 2022 and opted to run for the Senate after longtime Sen. Mike Padden announced his retirement earlier this year.

“Coming in at 64% means I’ve been doing something right,” Christian said.

6th Legislative District

The incumbents are headed back to Olympia.

Republican state Rep. Mike Volz will retain his seat representing northwest Spokane County and northeast Spokane in the state House, a position he was first elected to in 2016.

Volz received 62% of the vote Tuesday over Democrat Steven McCray II.

Volz will continue to serve alongside Republican Rep. Jenny Graham, with Graham receiving 60% of votes. First elected to the seat in 2018, Graham drew a challenge from Democrat Michaela Kelso, an Army veteran, this time.

7th Legislative District

Andrew Engell, deputy district director for U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, defeated fellow Republican Soo Ing-Moody in their race to replace Rep. Jaqueline Maycumber, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress earlier this year. Engell led with 60% of the vote Tuesday night.

Republican Hunter Abell defeated Democrat Paul “Rocky” Dean in Position 2 for the 7th Legislative District in a 69% to 31% vote. Abell, a former Ferry County District Court judge, replaces longtime state Rep. Joel Kretz, who is retiring from the Legislature.

9th Legislative District

Republican state Rep. Mary Dye easily defeated her Democratic challenger, Patrick Miller, in Position 1 for the 9th Legislative District, taking 66% of the vote. The wheat farmer and Republican has represented the southeastern Washington district since 2015.

State Rep. Joe Schmick easily defeated Democratic challenger Democrat Pam Kohlmeier for House Position 2, winning 65% of the vote. The Republican farmer has represented the district since 2007.

Marton Mezei, Z’hanie Weaver and Laura Sheikh contributed to this report.