SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council President candidate Kim Plese has conceded to challenger Betsy Wilkerson.
In a Facebook post shared Tuesday, Plese thanked her supporters and volunteers who worked with her throughout her campaign and congratulated Wilkerson on being the first woman elected to serve as city council president.
Plese's concession comes one day after incumbent Mayor Nadine Woodward conceded to challenger Lisa Brown.
"I'm honored by the record support I recorded from individuals, small businesses and organizations in Spokane," she wrote.
Plese received 47% of the total votes in the November election, compared to 53% received by Wilkerson.
In her statement, Plese said the election showed Spokane voters are concerned about public safety, downtown and neighborhoods. She said voters showed they want a city council that supports law enforcement and takes decisive action on safety, infrastructure and homelessness.
"It is my sincere hope that the city I love returns to those fundamentals of city government and focuses on getting real results for everyone," Plese wrote.
Elections manager Mike McLaughlin said Monday afternoon the ballots would be 99% counted by end of day, with the next update expected Nov. 27. There are still some ballots coming in through the mail, including military ballots that may take longer to make it through the postal system.
"Depends just on when they come in, how long it takes to process, those type of things. Usually takes a day and a half to process a ballot," McLaughlin said.
The ballot count was not significantly delayed by a hazmat situation that temporarily shut down the office last week.
"We'd still be processing today even without that happening, just the quantity we're doing today probably wouldn't be as much," McLaughlin said.
The Washington Secretary of State will certify the election results on Nov. 28, 2023.
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