Natasha Hill, Tony Kiepe face off in Spokesman-Review debate on who should represent Spokane in Olympia

Coming out of a contentious and razor-thin primary battle, Democrat Natasha Hill is facing Republican Tony Kiepe to represent Spokane in the state Legislature.

Hill, a lawyer and community organizer who unsuccessfully ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2022, is a progressive hoping to keep the seat in Democratic hands. She also previously served as interim editor of the Black Lens. Kiepe, an insurance agent who has twice unsuccessfully run for city council, is hoping to win a seat that has long been held by Democrats.

“They’re going to vote this year with their pocketbook. They’re going to see this seat has been Democrat-controlled for 40 years. It’s time for a change. Tony’s going to work on both sides,” Kiepe said.

Hill said she has the experience to represent the downtrodden of Spokane.

“I’m a single parent raising two kids, doing the work and running a small business. I just think it’s important that we have representation with lived experience, and that’s what you’re going to get with me,” she said.

During The Spokesman-Review’s “Candidate Conversations” podcast series, the pair debated the change they would make in Olympia on issues like housing, public safety and health care.

In the primary, Hill edged out fellow Democrat Ben Stuckart by a mere 270 votes in a contest with plenty of tension. The Spokane County Democrats opened an investigation into a heated exchange between Hill and party Chair Naida Spencer at the party’s booth at the Spokane Pride Festival last summer. Spencer did not respond to a request for an update into the investigation. Stuckart has opted not to endorse either candidate in the November election.

Asked about the exchange, Hill said she was not aware of any investigation, adding there “wasn’t anything inappropriate” in what she said.

On housing

In Olympia, Hill said she’d advocate for rent stabilization bills that would curb the amount by which and how often landlords can increase rent.

“The reality is that we can’t just allow for increases driven by a market when we know we don’t have sufficient housing supply,” she said. “We need to do everything we can do in order to keep people in their homes, which is going to make sure we have healthier and safer communities here in Spokane.”

Kiepe contends that Hill’s policies amount to rent control that will ultimately make housing more unaffordable and target small mom-and-pop landlords.

“New York first implemented rent control. What happened over time? You have higher rents, and more houses are now unavailable or empty because the landlords are selling their pieces of property,” he said.

Hill pointed to the difference between rent control, which freezes rent at a certain point, and rent stabilization, which allows for slower increases over time.

Kiepe supports a short-term rental assistance program to allow for renters to stay in their home or ease the transition to another apartment.

“We need to make sure the landlord gets paid and everybody’s happy. Everybody wins,” he said.

On public safety

Hill believes policymakers should address what she calls the root causes of crime. Rather than ever-increasing police budgets, the state should materially improve the lives of residents, and crime will fall as a result.

“We can’t punish and police our way out of these problems. We’ve overtasked our first responders, our law enforcement with addressing issues in our community that need to be addressed elsewhere,” she said. “We’ve got to look upstream in terms of what’s causing the public health and safety issues. And you will see investments in child care, investments in housing, so that we have a strong labor force.”

Kiepe said police budgets need to be raised, and current laws need to be enforced. He pointed to Spokane’s ban on camping near schools, parks and day care centers, which was approved by voters last year. He claims the ordnance is not being adequately enforced.

“We still have the unhoused people sitting on the streets all day long, every day. We’ve got to get them off the streets and get them the help they need, but we need to fund our police,” he said. “As I go doorbelling, people tell me they don’t feel safe to go downtown. Why? Why don’t they feel safe to go downtown? You know the answer. Because of the drugs, the homeless.”

Hill countered that unhoused individuals are often the victims of crime.

Johnathan Curley

“We can’t just punish and police our way out of these issues. These things are based in poverty. If we can solve the issue of poverty, it’s going to change our society completely,” she said.

On climate change and taxes

Kiepe supports the slate of conservative initiatives on the ballot this year. If passed, one of these initiatives would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which caps the amount of carbon released in the state each year. Proponents of the initiative have characterized the act as a gas tax on Washington residents.

Kiepe said the law hits those on a fixed income the most.

“It’s hurting the senior. It’s hurting the minority person when they have to pay an extra 42 cents a gallon for gas,” he said. “It’s not doing anything for the climate.”

Kiepe maintains curbing climate change should not be in the purview of the state. Individuals should make changes in their lives that improve the climate and are cost effective.

According to Hill, the act must stay in place to let the state reach commitments it has made in efforts to curb climate change. The state should go further by targeting wealthy corporations that have damaged the climate.

“We can roll back corporate tax breaks. We can stop subsidizing their record profits, we can make sure that everybody pays fair taxes and pays their fair share, and that would alleviate the burden on the folks that are the least resourced,” she said. “Our government and our elected officials have to decide who they’re actually representing – their corporate donors, or the people.”

Kiepe contends that any such tax on corporations would just be passed down to consumers. Hill said any corporations that do that do not belong in Washington.

“Corporations coming to the state of Washington understand we’re a community, and we expect you to show up and pay your fair share and invest here. If you’re not willing to do that, then maybe this isn’t the state for you,” she said.