Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat, is currently in his sixth term as the Position 1 state representative for District 3. A lifelong resident of Spokane, Riccelli attended Gonzaga University before receiving an MBA in public administration from the University of Washington. In addition to serving as a District 3 Representative, Riccelli also served as majority whip from 2016 to 2022. Outside of government, Riccelli has worked for CHAS Health and the Northeast Community Center, coached and refereed youth soccer, and mentored with Big Brothers and Sisters of Spokane. His campaign platform includes creating accessible public education, opening new methods for safe affordable housing, increasing the health care workforce with worker benefits, preserving reproductive rights and community organizing to increase public safety.

Marcus Riccelli PDC link
Marcus Riccelli campaign website
Marcus Riccelli State Voter Guide

Spokane attorney Natasha Hill has also served as the interim editor for local newspaper The Black Lens since November 2023. A Democrat, Hill, also a licensed realtor and member of the Spokane Realtors Association, highlights her experience building community connections and “fighting against MAGA extremism.” Her priorities include investing in public health, protecting safe abortion access and “removing the barriers to economic stability and opportunity for our most marginalized communities.” Hill was endorsed by the Spokane County Democrats and State Rep. Timm Ormsby (D-Spokane), the incumbent in position 2 of this district.

Natasha Hill PDC Link
Natasha Hill campaign website
Natasha Hill State Voter Guide

Related reading:
Spokane’s Black community newspaper is making a comeback (Cascade PBS)

Anthony (Tony) Kiepe is a Republican insurance professional who previously owned gas stations. Kiepe has secured endorsements from prominent Republicans in the region, including former county sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and MJ Bolt, current chair of the Spokane County Republicans. Kiepe’s priorities include affordable housing, citizen safety, increasing consumer choices and “working to stop unpopular and costly laws from being passed.”

Antony Kiepe PDC Link
Antony Kiepe campaign website
Antony Kiepe State Voter Guide

Timm Ormsby, a Democrat, is the incumbent. After primary opponent Erika Lalka dropped out days after filing, he is now running unopposed. Ormsby, a former cement mason, is endorsed by multiple unions, including UFCW 3000 and IAM District 751. He has served on numerous committees in the legislature, including the vital Rules Committee. 

Timm Ormsby PDC link
Timm Ormsby campaign website
Timm Ormsby State Voter Guide

Leonard Christian, a Republican, is vacating his District 4 seat in the House of Representatives to run for the Senate position. He grew up in Spokane, the child of a single mother, and is an Air Force veteran. He campaigns on a record of “defending gun rights, opposing higher taxes, and supporting parental rights.” He also supported allowing police broader authority in pursuing people they believe have violated the law. He was a volunteer instructor at Spokane’s Moody Bible Institute. Former Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and County Commissioner Mary Kuney have endorsed Christian for the seat.

Leonard Christian PDC link
Leonard Christian campaign website
Leonard Christian State Voter Guide

Miguel Valencia, a Democrat, is a paralegal with the law firm Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee and a paralegal specialist with the Army National Guard. He is campaigning on a platform of free child care, support for unions and reducing the influence of corporate money in elections.  His website says “there is no better way to show that we care about our children than to relieve parents of the high burden of paying for daycare and pre-k” and that “we should reduce the amount of money a candidate can raise from corporations, put a 10-year ban on receiving gifts after leaving office, and pressure the state political parties to ban corporate contributions.” He is endorsed by the Spokane County Democrats.

Miguel Valencia PDC link
Miguel Valencia campaign website
Miguel Valencia State Voter Guide

Kristopher Pockell, who is unaffiliated, is a software engineering manager from Spokane who shies away from the party ticket because it offers a “unique opportunity to break away from the often restrictive and divisive nature of major party politics.” He is running to “champion a shift from rigid party lines towards independent, cogent, and collaborative critical thinking in Olympia.” Pockell is campaigning to address skyrocketing housing costs; community safety issues, saying police resources need to be more efficiently deployed rather than increased; and education, focusing on providing schools with better resources rather than focusing on culture wars. He also emphasizes “civil reciprocity … creating a virtuous cycle where everyone’s efforts feed into a larger pool of mutual benefit, leading to a stronger, more resilient community.”

Kristopher Pockell PDC link
Kristopher Pockell campaign website
Kristopher Pockell State Voter Guide

Rep. Suzanne Schmidt is the freshman incumbent Republican for District 4, Position 1. The top issues listed on her website are safety and crime, relief for working families, standing up for small businesses and smarter government. This translates largely to cutting taxes and regulations. She has sponsored legislation repealing long-term services and trust programs related to health care and establishing regional apprenticeship programs. Her website says she was “heartsick watching the list of small businesses closing and the number of unemployment claims skyrocketing while the Democrats in Olympia went to work raising taxes and fees while neutralizing our justice system.” She is endorsed by former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and former Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

Suzanne Schmidt PDC link
Suzanne Schmidt campaign website
Suzanne Schmidt State Voter Guide

Rob Chase, a Republican from Liberty Lake, represented the 4th Legislative District in Position 2 from 2021 to 2023. He was defeated by Leonard Christian, a Republican who cited support from some Democrats worried about Chase’s strong support of former Rep. Matt Shea, who was ousted from the House Republican caucus after being accused of helping Ammon Bundy take over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Before that, Chase was the Spokane County treasurer. In 2018, he helped block a $5.3 billion sale of the Eastern Washington energy utility Avista to Canadian electricity provider Hydro One. Chase is running on an “America First” platform, and his campaign website says, “We need to get back to America's First Principles of respect for Providence, tradition, property, and transparency.”

Rob Chase PDC link
Rob Chase campaign website
Rob Chase State Voter Guide

Related reading:
State Rep. Rob Chase’s re-election effort is full of conspiracies (InvestigateWest via Cascade PBS)

Ted Cummings, a Democrat, is running on an overtly anti-Republican ticket, saying the GOP “is subverting the rule of law in order to enrich themselves and install a regressive authoritarian form of government.” Cummings says, “I believe, good people don’t hurt other people, our elections are fair and secure, vaccines save lives, and compassion and integrity are essential characteristics for elected officials.” If elected, Cummings aims to bolster affordable housing and income for working people and to support reproductive rights for women. Cummings is endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council and the Spokane County Democratic Party.

Ted Cummings PDC link
Ted Cummings campaign website
Ted Cummings State Voter Guide

Steven McCray, a Democrat, has roots in Eastern Washington as a resident and student in the city of Spokane. After graduating from Spokane Community College in 2022, he went on to  Eastern Washington University to study social work. McCray’s past experience in government and public office includes being elected Water Commissioner for District 10 in 2023. That year, McCray was also appointed to the Governor’s Committee for Disability Issues and Employment for Washington. His priorities include preservation of natural resources, funding and promoting public schools, comprehensive addiction treatment programs, disability services, and investing in modern infrastructure and roads, according to his website. 

Steven McCray PDC link
Steven McCray campaign website
Steven McCray State Voter Guide

Incumbent Mike Volz, a Republican, has served in District 6, Position 1 for four terms. Volz lives in North Spokane with his wife and their three children, where he also serves as Chief Deputy Treasurer for Spokane County. Aside from his work in the state house of representatives, Volz also has experience organizing small businesses, in the health care industry and with the Spokane Transit Authority, as well as serving in the United States Army as a military policeman in West Germany and at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Volz says his campaign priorities include decreasing state spending and lowering state taxation and providing more tools and funding to law enforcement offices to reduce violent crime related to human trafficking and the fentanyl crisis.  

Mike Volz PDC link
Mike Volz campaign website
Mike Volz State Voter Guide

Virginia "Jenny" Graham, a Republican, has served in District 6, Position 2 since 2018. Prior to her election, Graham worked as a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician and a small-business owner, according to her website. Graham formerly served in the transportation field of the United States Army Reserves, and says she prioritizes support for veterans as a state representative. Her platform also includes support for police, “criminal accountability” and educational transparency and school choice for parents. Graham lists extending police funding and limiting prison reform, recognizing victims’ rights in the criminal justice system and transparency among students, families and teachers in public schools as the priorities of her 2024 candidacy. 

Jenny Graham PDC Link
Jenny Graham campaign website
Jenny Graham State Voter Guide

Michaela Kelso, a Democrat, first ran for Washington state’s 6th legislative district in 2022. Kelso, born and raised in Germany, now lives in Deer Park with her husband. Prior to running for public office, Kelso served in the U.S. military from 1995 to 2018 as a Sergeant 1st Class, working as a linguist and interrogator for the Military Intelligence Corps. In 2022, Kelso served as the State Committee Chair of the 7th Legislative District Democrats after vice-chairing the committee for the prior two years. In 2022, Kelso campaigned on a platform of environmentally conscious policies with a focus on nuclear policy, as well as on expanding accessibility to schools and educational programs and accessible health care throughout Washington.    

Michaela Kelso PDC link
Michaela Kelso campaign website
Michaela Kelso State Voter Guide

Andrew Engell, Republican, has lived in Colville since he was 9 and has worked with his father in construction, welding, farming and, later, managing rental units. Engell has worked for outgoing U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) for seven years as deputy district director, according to his website. Engell says that as a small-business owner himself, he has felt the burden of excessive government regulation and wants to protect rural citizens in the state. Engell shares that he feels there is a large gap and lack of understanding between urban and rural citizens in the state, “and as a result government intrusion into people’s lives, businesses, and pocketbooks is weighing them down.” He says it is now more dangerous, expensive and complicated to do anything. He hopes through being elected into office that he will bridge that gap and protect the “rural way of life.” He is endorsed by McMorris Rodgers. 

Andrew Engell PDC link 
Andrew Engell campaign website
Andrew Engell State Voter Guide

Soo Ing-Moody has spent more than a decade working in local government: She was the mayor of Twisp from October 2010 to December 2023, vice chair of the Western Municipal Association from 2021 to 2022 and a member of several committees at the local, regional and state levels, according to her LinkedIn. Ing-Moody, a Republican, was a Twisp councilmember before serving as mayor, stepping up to the position after their previous mayor quit, according to her website. In Ing-Moody’s three terms as mayor, she increased the size of the police force, prioritized fixing public infrastructure like roads and the city’s treatment plant, purchased water rights while saving tax dollars and creating reserves through keeping the budget fiscally conservative. She is currently the engagement and outreach specialist for the Washington State Department of Commerce. Ing-Moody says her legislative priorities for the residents of her region are to be proactive to prepare for wildfires that commonly impact their region and to ensure citizens are safe; have access to resources for the next emergency; and be able to earn a living wage. She said she has been able to create a joint-use facility town hall that can operate as an emergency operations center through state and regional partners. 

Soo Ing-Moody PDC link 
Soo Ing-Moody campaign website 
Soo Ing-Moody State Voter Guide

Hunter Abell says his family has been in the 7th Legislative District since the 1950s. He worked on his family ranch, Long Rifle Ranch in Ferry County’s Inchelium. Abell, a Republican, served in the U.S. military for over two decades. He is a Commander in the U.S. Navy and he was deployed to Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. According to his LinkedIn, he has been an attorney at Williams Kastner since 2010, with a focus on civil litigation and Indian law. Abell’s legislative priorities include supporting law enforcement by ensuring they have adequate resources to stop the fentanyl crisis; supporting rural lifestyles in farming, logging and ranching by “shortening the process for private timber owners to harvest their own timber” and protecting property rights; and defending Second Amendment rights, according to his website.

Hunter Abell PDC link 
Hunter Abell campaign website 
Hunter Abell State Voter Guide

Paul “Rocky” Dean served for nearly 25 years in the U.S. Army and did tours in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, according to his website, before settling in Springdale. This is where Dean, who describes himself as a moderate Democrat, became involved in city politics, becoming a councilmember in 2020, when he served two terms. As a Springdale councilmember, he served on the utility committee and the planning commission. Dean says he is dedicated to creating bipartisan solutions for challenging issues. One of his legislative priorities is to advocate for small towns that struggle with things like infrastructure and public education. He has a plan to create a hub where small towns can apply for grants by the state. He supports affordable health care, especially for veterans, and farmers’ water rights for produce production. Dean is endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council, Spokane County Democrats, VoteVets, the Washington 7th Legislative District Democrats and the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council. 

Paul “Rocky” Dean PDC link 
Paul “Rocky” Dean campaign website 
Paul “Rocky” Dean State Voter Guide

Mark Schoesler, a Republican, has served as senator for the 9th Legislative District since 2005. He had served as a representative from the same district from 1993 to 2005. He is a dryland wheat farmer from Ritzville who “works very hard with a strong focus on the tasks he was sent to do.” One of Schoesler’s top priorities is “pushing for policies that allow independent businesses to grow and allow more Washingtonians to get back to work.” Schoesler has recently sponsored legislation requiring the Liquor and Cannabis Board to make decisions on license applications within 45 days and exempting some school buildings from the state energy performance standard. Schoesler was endorsed by the Mainstream Republicans of Washington.

Mark Schoesler PDC link
Mark Schoesler campaign website
Mark Schoesler State Voter Guide

Related reading:
Behind closed doors, state GOP seeks school solutions (Cascade PBS)

Mary Dye has served since 2015. Her party preference is GOP and she is endorsed by the Washington Dairy Families and the Washington Hospitality Association. While her campaign website doesn’t list priorities, her House Republicans website describes her as “vocal advocate for limited, but effective government” and states a desire to find the balance between creating environmentally sustainable cities and “restoring natural resource economies in rural communities.” In her most recent term, she was the primary sponsor of many bills relating to agriculture and energy.

Mary Dye PDC link
Mary Dye campaign website
Mary Dye State Voter Guide

Patrick Miller is running as a Democrat and lists “support for our agricultural communities, empowering small businesses and enhancing access to healthcare and educational opportunities” as his main priorities. He is now retired, but has worked for Raytheon, GRIMM and Zetier in cyber-security. Miller is also the station lieutenant of Spokane County Fire District Station 32, where he has helped the West Plains community.

Patrick Miller PDC link
Patrick Miller campaign website
Patrick Miller State Voter Guide

Pam Kohlmeier, a Democrat, is both a licensed physician and an attorney. She is endorsed by the Spokane County Democrats as well as by Bernadine Bank and Carmela Conroy, two candidates running for the 5th Congressional District. Her campaign goals are to “protect rural health and expand access to mental health services.” She also lists addressing health care provider burnout as a top issue.

Pam Kohlmeier PDC link
Pam Kohlmeier campaign website
Pam Kohlmeier State Voter Guide

Incumbent Joe Schmick, a former business owner and farmer, has represented District 9 since 2007. He does not list current endorsements, but in the past has been endorsed by the Kalispel Tribe and the Franklin County Republicans. The key issues of his platform are protecting the agricultural industry, curbing state tax spending, preserving local control of education and supporting the police. Schmick, who lives in Colfax, is the ranking member of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee, and also sits on the Appropriations and Natural Resources committees. 

Joe Schmick PDC link
Joe Schmick campaign website
Joe Schmick State Voter Guide

Perry Dozier, a Republican from Walla Walla, has completed his first term (2020-2024) in the state Senate. Prior to serving in Olympia, he was Walla Walla County Commissioner and worked as a wheat farmer. According to his campaign website, his priorities include transportation, education, the economy and the environment. He has endorsements from the Association of Washington Business and the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police. 

Perry Dozier PDC link
Perry Dozier campaign website
Perry Dozier State Voter Guide

Kari Isaacson is a Democrat from Walla Walla. She chairs the Walla Walla County Democrats and worked in the nonprofit sector for several decades before retiring in 2020. In a summary provided to Cascade PBS, Issacson said her top issues are health care access for residents in rural areas, expanding economic opportunity by investing in residents and businesses, preserving civil rights and fair elections and increasing green energy sources. She also wants to ensure women can make choices about their lives without government interference.  She has endorsements from the Walla Walla County Democrats and Washington Democrats. 

Kari Issacson PDC link
Kari Isaacson campaign website
Kari Iasaacson State Voter Guide

Linda Gunshefski, a Democrat from Walla Walla, is an ophthalmologist and has practiced in the Walla Walla area for 25 years. According to a summary sent to Cascade PBS, Gunshefski’s priorities include addressing housing shortages and affordability, increasing access and affordability to medical and mental health services, education, preserving reproductive rights and finding solutions to climate change. She received an endorsement from the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington. 

Linda Gunshefski PDC link
Linda Gunshefski campaign website 
Linda Gunshefski State Voter Guide

Mark Klicker, a Republican from Walla Walla, has served two terms as state representative. He has also worked as a business owner in various industries, including agriculture and real estate. According to his campaign website, preserving the agriculture industry via property and water rights is among his top priorities, along with minimizing taxation and maintaining sufficient law enforcement and emergency services. He has received an endorsement from the Association of Washington Business. 

Mark Klicker PDC link
Mark Klicker campaign website 
Mark Klicker State Voter Guide

Skyler Rude, a Republican from Walla Walla, has represented the district for three terms. Before that, he worked for the district as a legislative assistant. According to his campaign page, his top priorities include budgeting reform, reevaluating regulations for businesses, education and mental health. Rude has received an endorsement from the Washington State Labor Council, one of a handful of Republicans to receive one.

Skyler Rude PDC link
Skyler Rude campaign website
Skyler Rude State Voter Guide

Craig Woodard is a Democrat and retired electrician who lives in Walla Walla. According to his campaign website, his top priorities include expanding affordable-housing options, increasing child care accessibility, addressing the needs of the unhoused, improving workplace conditions and sustaining apprenticeship programs. 

Craig R. Woodard PDC link 
Craig R. Woodward campaign website 
Craig R. Woodard State Voter Guide