The eastern third of the state of Washington has traditionally been categorized by three things – rolling fields of wheat, the best wine country outside of the Napa Valley, and conservative bona fides. In the last quarter century, when the Evergreen state has only deepened its shade of blue in successive election cycles, the counties tucked up under the Blue Mountains of Idaho held as fastidiously traditional in all things political.
No national race has gone to a progressive or liberal candidate according to Spokane, Adams and Columbia county (among others) in the last two decades, including president and both houses of congress.
But as previously reported during the ICE protests, the winds of change are blowing hard in the heights and valleys of Spokane county, the de facto seat of Eastern Washington.
One needs only look at the ballot being sent to Spokane County residents in October to see the reality of that statement. And while in years past, progressive candidates saw wisdom in keeping their hard-left-leaning politics hidden, those days are far in the rearview.
Before looking at the races for Spokane City Council, there is one event that has already garnered the attention of the city’s voting public: “A Leftist Town Hall” being hosted at the Spokane Public Library near Riverpark Square.
The event, billed as a pre-election meet and greet, features candidates seeking to not merely unseat conservative incumbents but build a supermajority on the city council that has been brewing since 2019. As it stands, left-leaning city councilmembers in Spokane already outnumber their opposition, producing a city rife with homelessness, crime and plummeting confidence in business owners and citizens.
Town halls are nothing new to the political landscape, but the troubling part of this event – which also includes City Council President Zack Zappone – seeking to boost the profiles of one of the candidates from each of the seats up for reelection, is hosted by the Spokane chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Eastern Washington Communist Party USA.
This is not a simple matter of higher vs lower taxes or social programs. These parties by definition are seeking the overthrow of the Republican form of government set forth in the US Constitution (and by extension, the Constitution of the state of Washington).
Spokane residents seem to be unaware or at least unperturbed by the leftward shift of their city.
Despite outnumbering registered Democrats by more than 10 points, city council positions in the city continue to flip to the progressive agenda every two years. In November the city will be voting on three of those positions.
Incumbent Zack Zappone holds the second position in District 3 in Spokane. Representing northwestern Spokane – primarily west of Division and north of Sprague Avenue, the district features the Shadle Park area, Downriver and a portion of Mead.
In the primary held August 5, Zappone doubled the votes of challenger Chris Savage, looking like a lock to reclaim his seat.
Zappone has been a fixture for Spokane’s leftward drift since his election in 2021. Savage, who recently spoke at an event held at Calvary Spokane, is taking aim at the spiraling crime statistics, rampant homelessness and lack of safety throughout the city.
📑 Ordinance C36740 Titled “Safe and Welcome in Spokane”, expanding protections against warrantless searches from immigration enforcement in designated nonpublic areas. pic.twitter.com/7db7ZKxA6K
— Christopher Savage (@Savage4Spokane) August 26, 2025
Besides Zappone, Spokane’s left wing is looking to flip a pair of conservative seats. Sarah Dixit and Kate Telis, the featured guests of the Socialist/Communist town hall are both looking to add weight to a growing majority.
Dixit is challenging incumbent Jonathan Bingle, who with Savage, spoke at the Calvary Spokane event in July.
The Spokesman Review categorized Bingle and Savage as “attacking” their opponents’ policies. In reality, both men have simply called for more leadership from the city council to hold criminals accountable and to keep the people of the city safe.
Telis, meanwhile, running in Spokane’s second district – which encapsulates the South Hill and surrounding areas – will be trying to win an open seat created by the resignation of Liliana Navarrete last summer.
Neither of these two races took part in the primaries as each had only two candidates.
