After six terms representing Spokane's 3rd Legislative District in the Washington state House of Representatives, Democrat Marcus Riccelli is running to fill the Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Andy Billig.
Riccelli was unopposed in the August primary. But as the Nov. 5 general election approaches, Riccelli, 46, faces a last-minute write-in challenge from real estate agent and political newcomer Jim Wilson, a Republican.
"I was getting ready to go on vacation, and I saw this race unopposed and I thought, 'That's not right,'" Wilson says. "Instead of complaining all the time, or listening to others complain, it's time to step up."
Wilson, 71, decided to write in his own name on the August primary ballot. He texted some friends and relatives asking them to do the same. From there, he says the campaign "took on a life of its own." A member of the local Republican Party called the next day and asked him to run an official write-in campaign.
Wilson got a little over 1% of the votes in the primary — just barely enough to qualify him to appear on the November ballot.
Compared with the primary's three-way race for a House seat in the district, which included Democrats Natasha Hill and Ben Stuckart and Republican Tony Kiepe, Riccelli's unopposed race received nearly 9,000 fewer votes (voters aren't required to fill in a choice for each race), making it slightly easier for Wilson to hit 1%.
Wilson says that the Legislature has taken "radical stands" on issues like public safety and that he wants to start "governing for the people in the middle."
Wilson faces steep odds. The 3rd District leans blue, and Riccelli has a massive fundraising advantage.
Riccelli was first elected to the House in 2012. He chairs the House Health Care & Wellness Committee and has worked to expand telehealth and dental care in Washington. He says some of his proudest achievements in Olympia include sponsoring the House bill to bring a medical school to Spokane, expanding the Spokane County Commission to five members and passing bills to expand free lunch for kids in schools.
Riccelli introduced a bill earlier this year that would have provided free school lunch for all schoolchildren in Washington. It failed to pass, but Riccelli says it remains a priority.
"We know that kids can't thrive in school if they're hungry," Riccelli says.
Riccelli's other priorities if elected to the Senate include expanding access to affordable health care and housing.
"We need to build a lot more units," Riccelli says.
Wilson says he's interested in giving Washington police officers more training and making sure the "criminal element" of the homeless population is held accountable. He wants to improve housing affordability by removing burdensome regulations.
Riccelli says he agrees with his opponent that competition is a good thing in elections.
"This is an open seat," Riccelli says. "It's a job interview, and people deserve to hear the issues." ♦
