SPOKANE, Wash. — This November, voters will see the race for Spokane County prosecutor on their ballots. The position oversees criminal and civil cases for the county.
On Thursday, the two candidates faced each other in a debate.
Incumbent Preston McCollam has been filling the prosecutor role since he was appointed last summer. Now, challenger Danny Tarkenton is looking to make changes.
If elected, McCollam said he will push for efficiency with better staffing. He also said his experience in the role makes him more qualified.
“You need to know the job, you need to understand it and you need to be able to enforce that law and know what the law is,” McCollam said. “That’s something that I’ve spent the last 13 years learning and working on.”
While McCollam is running as a Republican, Tarkenton is running as an independent.
Tarkenton served in the military and worked as a deputy prosecutor for about a year. If elected, she wants to see practices that keep people out of jail and keep them from reoffending.
“I’m all about being efficient and effective when it comes to prosecution,” Tarkenton said. “It’s not being soft or tough on crime, it’s being efficient. So using those restorative courts and diversions when necessary, using retributive justice when necessary.”
Whoever wins this election will serve a four-year term.
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