French holds off Marshall

CHENEY - Spokane County Republican incumbent Al French was on his way to re-election to the commissioner District No. 5 seat in a close race against Democrat Molly Marshall.

Early Nov. 5 general election returns Tuesday night showed French had secured 21,872 votes, while Marshall followed with 20,957 votes.

Late-arriving ballots will be counted in the days ahead.

French, a long-serving commissioner with a campaign focused on economic growth and infrastructure, initially trailed in early results, but ultimately pulled ahead.

"I am very grateful to the voters in District 5 for their vote of confidence, and it's my honor to continue serving the people," he said in response to the apparent win.

The competitive nature of this race reflected strong debates around growth management and water quality, two key issues that emerged during the campaign.

Marshall's platform centered on controlled development, wildfire risk mitigation, and water quality improvements, appealing to voters in a district made more competitive by recent redistricting efforts.

Marshall was unable to be reached for comment Tuesday night before press time.