Rep. Marcus Riccelli faces Republican Jim Wilson in KSPS debate

Longtime Spokane Rep. Marcus Riccelli is hoping to make the jump to the state Senate, while newcomer Jim Wilson is hoping to put Olympia in a new direction.

The two faced off for the first time in a debate recorded at KSPS studios on Wednesday afternoon. The debate will air at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 on KSPS and be available to stream at ksps.org.

Riccelli was first elected to a House seat representing Washington’s 3rd district in 2012. With the retirement of Sen. Andy Billig, Ricelli is hoping to take his experience to a new chamber.

The Democrat had stewarded through the House a law ensuring most students have access to free lunch. He hopes to expand that law so it provides universal meals to every Washington student.

“A big focus will be on those social determinants of health. Making sure people not only have access to health care but they can thrive regardless of their ZIP code,” he said.

Riccelli appeared to have a lock on the seat when his only primary opponent dropped out after the filing deadline. But Republican Wilson jumped into the race as a write-in and received enough votes to appear on the November ballot. The newcomer said the state needs to try something new and move away from total Democratic control.

“I’m talking about common sense,” Wilson said. “We’ve had this homeless problem and it’s getting worse and worse each year. How many chances do we give the team who’s been running the system for 40 years? It’s time for a change.”

Both candidates said the state needs to do a better job to provide residents’ public safety.

“I also think we need accountability and places to go for people who are repeat offenders. That’s something that sometimes gets pushback in my party,” Riccelli said. “But I will say people not only need to be safe, they need to feel safe.”

Wilson said the Legislature’s policies are “almost encouraging criminals” to commit more crime.

“We’ve taken nonlethal tools off the belt of police and made their job almost impossible,” he said.

In policing, Wilson said there must be a “balance between civil rights and victims’ rights.”

A real estate developer, Wilson said state regulations have made his job “almost impossible.”

“The things the legislature has done to impose regulation on new construction and multifamily housing, the idea of new construction building for affordable housing is impossible,” Wilson said.

“It’s not going to happen.”

Riccelli promised to “hit the ground running” in the Senate and hinted he could find himself “at a Senate leadership table even as a freshman.”