There is a general election this year, 2021, with a ballot turn-in date of Tuesday, November 2. These are off-off year elections (that is, neither presidential nor congressional), at least in Washington State. Mostly, the positions in contention are local: city councils, school boards, fire districts, and some judgeships. Moreover, they are, in most cases, nominally non-partisan positions, candidates don’t appear on the ballot with “Prefers Republican Party” or “Prefers Democratic Party” behind their names.
In August, while roughly three quarters of registered voters in Spokane County sat out the primary election, the other quarter chose those who will appear on the General Election ballot this November. You can see the certified results for all the races in Spokane County by clicking here. Do not fall in the trap of predicting the results of the General Election based on the numbers from the August primary. The November results will hinge on some combination of the preferences expressed by the votes in the primary and which other voters are motivated to vote in the November General Election. Typically, a third to a half more voters turn in ballots in November than in August in these off-off year elections, more than enough to change the results from those suggested by the primary. Complacency based on primary results is a mistake.
In the City of Spokane one City Council seat in each of two districts is up for grabs: In District 1 (NE) it’s Naghmana Sherazi¹ v. Jonathan Bingle. In District 3 (NW) it’s Zack Zappone v. Mike Lish. In District 2 (South Hill plus) Betsy Wilkerson will be on the November ballot unopposed. (Her expected opponent, CMR’s Tyler LeMasters, failed the residency requirement.)
Residents of District 2 (South Hill plus), since they don’t get to chose between two candidates on the November ballot, might be tempted to relax. That, too, would be a mistake. The election results in Districts 1 (NE) and 2 (NW) could, if we don’t pay attention, tip the City Council in coming years toward scrapping the Comprehensive Plan (a scrapping favored by the realtors and developers, who are spending a lot of money in an attempt to change the Council composition) or shift the Council toward coddling the extremists from the Covenant Church as they push their theocratic agenda on the doorstep of Planned Parenthood.
So who do you canvass for, contribute money to, and encourage your friends to vote for? Ironically, one of the best measures of extremism is provided by precisely those folks who would like you to believe that far right Republicanism equals belief in the teachings of Christ, WeBelieveWeVote.com. Dig into the details and you are likely to find that claimed equivalence is an insult to Christians and Christ. The WBWV page on the Spokane races neatly lays out the choices for City Council and the Board of Spokane Public Schools. On that page I recommend voting only for those who “Did Not Respond”. To understand why, click on “More>>” to the right of the name of one of the candidates who did respond, scroll down to the bottom and click the “Survey Responses” button. Read through the statements of “Core Beliefs” (1-3) and “Position Statements” (4-14) for which the level of agreement defines WBWV’s “alignment ”.
Jonathan Bingle, candidate for City Council from District 1 (NE), for example, as part of his Christianity, wholeheartedly agrees (10 out of 10) with this statement (#5): “Elected officials have a duty to resist unelected bureaucrats who try to impose controversial mandates, such as forced mask wearing, quarantining the healthy, and vaccination passports.” I do not recall that as a Christian precept, cited Bible verses notwithstanding.
Mr. Bingle also indicates his ten out of ten agreement with this statement under “The Poor and Needy” (#12):
“Government officials should leave the provision of housing, rehabilitation, and other social services to individuals, families, and private organizations that are better equipped to directly help the homeless. Additionally, local officials should support law enforcement with proper funding, good-faith negotiations, and responsible accountability.”
His agreement suggests that Mr. Bingle dismisses the idea that government exists, in part, to help society cope with problems like homelessness and substance abuse—except through law enforcement and incarceration.
A candidate who refuses to respond to WBWV’s survey seems more likely one who subscribes to values I recognize as Christian than the “aligned” ideologues who put their right wing politics on display clothed in WBWV’s thin veil of Christianity .
My picks for people to support in these races are Zack Zappone and Naghmana Sherazi for City Council and Melissa Bedford and Riley Smith for SPS (District 81) School Board.
Remember these names. Visit their websites. Support them. Conversely, check out WBWV’s survey for the detailed politico-religious ideologies of the opposing candidates.
If you have read this far and you’re registered to vote somewhere other than the City of Spokane or in District 81, use the underlined links above to learn the names and investigate the leanings of the candidates on your ballot.²Check out their webpages and their endorsements. Visit the Public Disclosure Commission for information on who supports the candidate financially. Don’t put it off. Talk with your friends and relatives about your conclusions. The night before the election due date (November 2) is not the time to do your homework.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry1
It is Naghmana Sherazi rather than Luc Jasmin against Jonathan Bingle on account of a difference of just 4 votes! The 4 vote difference in the machine count held up during the hand count, putting the lie to the national Republican unsubstantiated bluster about election fraud. Jim Camden’s article in Spokesman concerning these election results is worth reading, especially if you’re inclined to be suspicious about election administration.2
Caution is recommended in the general rule to vote only for those who “Did Not Respond” on the WBWV listings. For example, Ben Wick in Spokane Valley gets a 79% alignment with WBWV. However, the webpage of Wick’s opponent, Brandon Fenton, who did not respond, reveals his extremism almost immediately. In my book, the endorsements of Rob Chase, Bob McCaslin, and Rod Higgins are poison.
There is a general election this year, 2021, with a ballot turn-in date of Tuesday, November 2. These are off-off year elections (that is, neither presidential nor congressional), at least in Washington State. Mostly, the positions in contention are local: city councils, school boards, fire districts, and some judgeships. Moreover, they are, in most cases, nominally non-partisan positions, candidates don’t appear on the ballot with “Prefers Republican Party” or “Prefers Democratic Party” behind their names.
In August, while roughly three quarters of registered voters in Spokane County sat out the primary election, the other quarter chose those who will appear on the General Election ballot this November. You can see the certified results for all the races in Spokane County by clicking here. Do not fall in the trap of predicting the results of the General Election based on the numbers from the August primary. The November results will hinge on some combination of the preferences expressed by the votes in the primary and which other voters are motivated to vote in the November General Election. Typically, a third to a half more voters turn in ballots in November than in August in these off-off year elections, more than enough to change the results from those suggested by the primary. Complacency based on primary results is a mistake.
In the City of Spokane one City Council seat in each of two districts is up for grabs: In District 1 (NE) it’s Naghmana Sherazi¹ v. Jonathan Bingle. In District 3 (NW) it’s Zack Zappone v. Mike Lish. In District 2 (South Hill plus) Betsy Wilkerson will be on the November ballot unopposed. (Her expected opponent, CMR’s Tyler LeMasters, failed the residency requirement.)
Residents of District 2 (South Hill plus), since they don’t get to chose between two candidates on the November ballot, might be tempted to relax. That, too, would be a mistake. The election results in Districts 1 (NE) and 2 (NW) could, if we don’t pay attention, tip the City Council in coming years toward scrapping the Comprehensive Plan (a scrapping favored by the realtors and developers, who are spending a lot of money in an attempt to change the Council composition) or shift the Council toward coddling the extremists from the Covenant Church as they push their theocratic agenda on the doorstep of Planned Parenthood.
So who do you canvass for, contribute money to, and encourage your friends to vote for? Ironically, one of the best measures of extremism is provided by precisely those folks who would like you to believe that far right Republicanism equals belief in the teachings of Christ, WeBelieveWeVote.com. Dig into the details and you are likely to find that claimed equivalence is an insult to Christians and Christ. The WBWV page on the Spokane races neatly lays out the choices for City Council and the Board of Spokane Public Schools. On that page I recommend voting only for those who “Did Not Respond”. To understand why, click on “More>>” to the right of the name of one of the candidates who did respond, scroll down to the bottom and click the “Survey Responses” button. Read through the statements of “Core Beliefs” (1-3) and “Position Statements” (4-14) for which the level of agreement defines WBWV’s “alignment ”.
Jonathan Bingle, candidate for City Council from District 1 (NE), for example, as part of his Christianity, wholeheartedly agrees (10 out of 10) with this statement (#5): “Elected officials have a duty to resist unelected bureaucrats who try to impose controversial mandates, such as forced mask wearing, quarantining the healthy, and vaccination passports.” I do not recall that as a Christian precept, cited Bible verses notwithstanding.
Mr. Bingle also indicates his ten out of ten agreement with this statement under “The Poor and Needy” (#12):
“Government officials should leave the provision of housing, rehabilitation, and other social services to individuals, families, and private organizations that are better equipped to directly help the homeless. Additionally, local officials should support law enforcement with proper funding, good-faith negotiations, and responsible accountability.”
His agreement suggests that Mr. Bingle dismisses the idea that government exists, in part, to help society cope with problems like homelessness and substance abuse—except through law enforcement and incarceration.
A candidate who refuses to respond to WBWV’s survey seems more likely one who subscribes to values I recognize as Christian than the “aligned” ideologues who put their right wing politics on display clothed in WBWV’s thin veil of Christianity .
My picks for people to support in these races are Zack Zappone and Naghmana Sherazi for City Council and Melissa Bedford and Riley Smith for SPS (District 81) School Board.
Remember these names. Visit their websites. Support them. Conversely, check out WBWV’s survey for the detailed politico-religious ideologies of the opposing candidates.
If you have read this far and you’re registered to vote somewhere other than the City of Spokane or in District 81, use the underlined links above to learn the names and investigate the leanings of the candidates on your ballot.²Check out their webpages and their endorsements. Visit the Public Disclosure Commission for information on who supports the candidate financially. Don’t put it off. Talk with your friends and relatives about your conclusions. The night before the election due date (November 2) is not the time to do your homework.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry1
It is Naghmana Sherazi rather than Luc Jasmin against Jonathan Bingle on account of a difference of just 4 votes! The 4 vote difference in the machine count held up during the hand count, putting the lie to the national Republican unsubstantiated bluster about election fraud. Jim Camden’s article in Spokesman concerning these election results is worth reading, especially if you’re inclined to be suspicious about election administration.2
Caution is recommended in the general rule to vote only for those who “Did Not Respond” on the WBWV listings. For example, Ben Wick in Spokane Valley gets a 79% alignment with WBWV. However, the webpage of Wick’s opponent, Brandon Fenton, who did not respond, reveals his extremism almost immediately. In my book, the endorsements of Rob Chase, Bob McCaslin, and Rod Higgins are poison.