Located in the heart of the City of Spokane, downtown plays a vital role in the economic health of our region. In anticipation of the November 2019 City of Spokane Mayoral and Council elections, the Downtown Spokane Partnership will be hosting its inaugural Candidate Forum at the Spokane Civic Theatre on Tuesday, October 1 from 4:30 to 6:30pm. This unique forum will feature candidates from each of the Council Districts, as well as the Council President and Mayoral candidates.

The forum is part of the ongoing Downtown Dialogues series, which is a resource for downtown residents, businesses, employees, and other stakeholders to come together around topics important to the region’s urban core. Downtown Dialogs gathers policy makers and opinion leaders together to take a deeper look at the initiatives and issues shaping our city.

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear candidates discuss the issues of importance to downtown in advance of the November 5 General Election. This forum provides candidates an opportunity to offer their vision for downtown and describe how their leadership on the issues will make a difference for the region’s urban core. “Our goal is to present an educational event for our members and allow candidates from both branches of government to demonstrate the desire for partnership, collaboration, and overall a real working knowledge of key issues and opportunities shaping downtown,” says DSP President, Mark Richard.

Find out what each candidate has to say about downtown Spokane; from continuing developments to their plans to address challenges related to economic development, social issues and housing. The event is free and open to the public. Candidates will answer pre-submitted questions from DSP members and downtown businesses during this moderated event.

The following candidates have been confirmed to participate:

Mayor

• Ben Stuckart
• Nadine Woodward

Council President

• Breean L. Beggs
• Cindy Wendle

Council District 1

• Michael Cathcart
• Tim Benn

Council District 2

• Lori Kinnear
• Tony Kiepe

Council District 3

• Karen J. Stratton