SPOKANE, Wash. —
Mayor Nadine Woodward said it has been an honor to lead the city she loves for the last four years. She said being mayor has been an all-encompassing job, but it's also been a job she's been privileged to have.
"I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish. I am now a part of Spokane's history and I'm excited to see what happens next," Woodward shared.
Monday, Woodward released a statement, announcing her concession in Spokane's mayoral race. As it stands, election results show her challenger Lisa Brown could unseat her by a margin of near-3,000 votes.
Woodward said she is still processing her life beyond her office. She said being mayor was never a part of her original plan, but seeing the potential for change and love for the city encouraged her to run back in 2019.
"The thing that I loved about the job I had before for 28 years in Spokane and that was a broadcast journalist was that I got to tell the stories of people who were doing great things for the city they loved," Woodward said. "And I wanted to be one of those people. So when I left that industry, I thought, 'how can I impact the city I love the most?' And I thought, well I'll run for office."
She sees some of her biggest achievements as tackling the local homelessness crisis.
"I'm excited about the work we've done on the regional homeless authority, I think that’s one of the biggest initiatives and thing I’m really proud of," Woodward said. "We've also opened a number of shelters, the Way Out shelter and we've opened up TRAC (Trent Resource and Assistance Center), the largest shelter in eastern Washington where on any given night we have 400 people, off the street, getting meals and services."
Woodward said she's especially proud of the work her administration has done in light of some tremendous challenges in the last four years.
"Global health pandemic, a summer of protests, our first riot, housing crisis, workforce shortages, inflation, Camp Hope," Woodward listed off. "Just one of those challenges would be a big load for a new mayor to address, but the fact that we we've been able to do the totality of that, I'm really proud of the work. We’ve created opportunities where there were challenges.”
Woodward said the next administration will need to continue to address housing issues and create more affordable housing opportunities.
This could be a potential focus for projected mayor-elect Lisa Brown.
Brown's administration said she was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but could confirm she has begun her first series of transition calls.
Woodward said her goal will be to ensure a smooth and well-informed transition as she looks to leave office.
She said she doesn't have concrete next steps for the future, but immediate plans will include spending time with friends and family.
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