2019 Spokane mayoral election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2019 Spokane mayoral election
| flag_image = Flag of Spokane, Washington (1975–2021).svg
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2015 Spokane mayoral election
| previous_year = 2015
| next_election = 2023 Spokane mayoral election
| next_year = 2023
| election_date = November 5, 2019{{cite web |title=Current Election Results |url=https://www.spokanecounty.org/2995/Current-Election-Results |website=spokanecounty.org |publisher=Spokane County |access-date=17 April 2023}}
| image1 = File:Nadine Woodward.jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| candidate1 = Nadine Woodward
| popular_vote1 = 34,540
| percentage1 = 50.3%
| image2 = 3x4.svg
| candidate2 = Ben Stuckart
| popular_vote2 = 33,692
| percentage2 = 49.1%
| title = Mayor
| before_election = David Condon
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Nadine Woodward
| after_party = NonpartisanAlthough Woodward has been supported by and shares beliefs with Republicans, Woodward has never explicitly affiliated with the Republican Party.
| colour1 = C468D9
| colour2 = 59afc7
| map_image = File:Spokane precincts 2019 general.svg
| map_caption = Precinct results
Woodward: {{legend0|#e4b7ef|40–50%}} {{legend0|#d48fe4|50–60%}} {{legend0|#c468d9|60–70%}} {{legend0|#b240cc|70–80%}}
Stuckart: {{legend0|#afd9e5|40–50%}} {{legend0|#85c4d6|50–60%}} {{legend0|#59afc7|60–70%}} {{legend0|#2899b9|70–80%}}
Tie: {{legend0|#ada9dd|50%}}
}}
{{ElectionsWA}}
The 2019 Spokane mayoral election took place on November 5, 2019, to elect the mayor of Spokane, Washington. The previous mayor, David Condon was unable to run due to term limits. It saw former local news anchor Nadine Woodward defeat former Spokane City Council president Ben Stuckart by a margin of just over one percentage point.
Background
While both general election candidates officially listed themselves as non-partisan, each represented one side of the right-left political divide in the United States with Woodward on the right-wing{{cite news |title=Is Nadine Woodward a Trump Voter |url=https://fusewashington.org/news/nadine-woodward-trump-voter |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=Fuse Washington |date=17 October 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Decker |first1=Casey |title=Who supports Spokane mayoral candidates? A look at major endorsements |url=https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/who-supports-spokane-mayoral-candidates-a-look-at-major-endorsements/293-9564793c-a9e7-4325-b5a1-3cba1609d6b6 |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=KREM.com |publisher=KREM-TV |date=28 August 2019}} and Stuckart on the left-wing.
Despite sitting in a long-time Republican-held Congressional district, the City of Spokane itself had become Democrat-leaning in the years leading up to the 2019 mayoral election. Stuckart led a city council with a liberal super-majority — which persisted after the election — and the Democratic challenger to congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers won the city by 17 percentage points in the prior year's election. Woodward's ability as a right-wing candidate to win the left-leaning city was due in large part to her popularity as a nearly three-decade presence on local TV news at both KREM and KXLY as well as her ability to turn the race into a referendum on homelessness and crime.{{cite news |last1=Walters |first1=Daniel |title=11 Reasons Why Ben Stuckart Lost |url=https://www.inlander.com/news/11-reasons-why-ben-stuckart-lost-18538096 |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=The Inlander |date=7 November 2019}}
Primary election
Washington has a nonpartisan blanket primary system. The top two finishers in the primary face each other in the general election.
= Declared candidates =
- Jonathan Bingle, former pastor
- Kelly P. Cruz, chairman of Spokane C.O.P.S.
- Shawn Poole, firefighter and veteran
- Ben Stuckart, former city council president
- Nadine Woodward, former news anchor
= Declined =
- Lisa Brown, former Majority Leader of the Washington Senate (2005–2013), and Democratic candidate for Washington's 5th congressional district in 2018{{Cite web |title=Lisa Brown reflects on Congressional campaign, says she won’t run for Spokane mayor {{!}} The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/nov/11/lisa-brown-reflects-on-congressional-campaign-says/ |access-date=2021-04-11 |website=www.spokesman.com}}
[[File:Spokane precincts 2019 primary.svg|thumb|Blanket primary results by precinct
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#d48fe4|Woodward}}|{{legend|#f7dffc|30–40%}}|{{legend|#e4b7ef|40–50%}}|{{legend|#d48fe4|50–60%}}|{{legend|#c468d9|60–70%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#85c4d6|Stuckart}}
|{{legend|#dcf1f7|30–40%}}
|{{legend|#afd9e5|40–50%}}
|{{legend|#85c4d6|50–60%}}
|{{legend|#59afc7|60–70%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#e9e8f9|Woodward/Stuckart Tie}}|{{legend|#e9e8f9|30–40%}}
}}]]
{{Election box begin no party no change | title=Primary results}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Nadine Woodward
|votes = 19,366
|percentage = 40.11
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Ben Stuckart
|votes = 18,353
|percentage = 38.02
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Shawn Poole
|votes = 6,122
|percentage = 12.68
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Jonathan Bingle
|votes = 3,157
|percentage = 6.54
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Kelly P. Cruz
|votes = 1,080
|percentage = 2.24
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Under votes
|votes = 622
|percentage = 1.27
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Write-in
|votes = 200
|percentage = 0.41
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Over votes
|votes = 17
|percentage = 0.04
}}
{{Election box total no party no change|
|votes = 48,917
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
=Prominent endorsements=
{{Endorsements box
| title = Nadine Woodward
| columns = 2
| list =
Officeholders
- David Condon, Mayor of Spokane{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Olivia |title=Nadine Woodward endorsed by Spokesman-Review for mayoral run |url=https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county/spokesman-endorses-nadine-woodward/293-562e9b52-bd1a-4be1-a8ce-a9efe86c68c3 |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=KREM.com |publisher=KREM-TV |date=20 October 2019}}
- Michael Baumgartner, Former state senator (2011-2019) for the 6th district and candidate for County Treasurer
- Ozzie Knezovich, sheriff of Spokane County
Individuals
- Phil Altmeyer, head of Spokane's Union Gospel Mission
- Kate McCaslin, former CEO of the Inland Pacific Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors Inc.
- Chud Wendle, businessman and member of longtime prominent Spokane family
- Walt Worthy, Spokane developer and property owner of among others the Davenport Hotel
Media
Organizations
- Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors
- Kalispel Tribe of Indians
- Spokane Association of Realtors
- Spokane Home Builders Association
- Spokane Police Union
}}
{{Endorsements box
| title = Ben Stuckart
| columns = 2
| list =
Officeholders
- Andy Billig, Washington State Senate majority leader; 3rd district
- Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=Erin |title=Governor Jay Inslee endorses Ben Stuckart for Spokane mayor |url=https://www.kxly.com/news/local-news/governor-jay-inslee-endorses-ben-stuckart-for-spokane-mayor/article_357a865a-a2f2-542c-8e61-1e53193c4680.html |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=KXLY.com |publisher=KXLY-TV |date=18 September 2019}}
- Timm Ormsby, state representative for the 3rd district
- Marcus Riccelli, state representative for the 3rd district
- Spokane City Council members Breean Beggs, Lori Kinnear, Candace Mumm and Karen Stratton
Individuals
- Sheri Barnard, former Mayor of Spokane (1990-1994)
- Jack Geraghty, former Mayor of Spokane (1994-1998)
- Joe Shogan, former Spokane City Council president
Organizations
- Spokane County Democrats
- Spokane Firefighters Union
- Spokane Teachers Union
- Spokane Tribe of Indians
- Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund
}}
=Results=
{{Election box begin no party no change | title=General election results}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Nadine Woodward
|votes = 34,540
|percentage = 50.32%
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Ben Stuckart
|votes = 33,692
|percentage = 49.08%
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Under votes
|votes = 881
|percentage = 1.27%
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Write-in
|votes = 409
|percentage = 0.60%
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change|
|candidate = Over votes
|votes = 7
|percentage = 0.01%
}}
{{Election box total no party no change|
|votes = 69,529
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{2019 United States elections}}
Category:Mayoral elections in Spokane, Washington
Category:2010s in Spokane, Washington