(The Center Square) – The Spokane County Board of Commissioners elected Mary Kuney on Tuesday as their leader for a fifth consecutive year, with the current longest-serving member recusing himself.
Kuney will serve as board chair, with Commissioner Josh Kerns also serving another year as vice chair.
The two officials have rotated through the position with Commissioner Al French for years. Kuney has been chair since 2022, taking over from Kerns, who was chair in 2021 before French the year before.
Republicans have largely dominated the board and occupied all three seats until a 2020 court decision required the governing body to expand to five positions. Two Democrats, Commissioners Chris Jordan and Amber Waldref, have joined since then, expanding the city of Spokane’s blue dot in a red county.
“I move to elect Mary Kuney as the chair of the Board of Spokane County Commissioners for calendar year 2026,” Jordan motioned Tuesday afternoon, which Waldref seconded with support from Kerns, too.
French, who has served on the board since 2011, recused himself from the vote to reelect Kuney as chair, but voted in favor of electing Kerns as vice chair. The Center Square was unable to immediately reach French for an explanation before publishing and will update this article after he responds.
He won his most recent reelection in November 2024, beating Democrat challenger Molly Marshall with just 51.2% of the vote in a nail-biter race. French has said this will be his final term, meaning the seat will open up for a newcomer, whether red or blue, after 2028, though Kuney and Waldref are up soon.
The two women on the commission face reelection next fall before their terms end on Dec. 31, 2026.
If both win, it will maintain the status quo until the end of French, Kerns, and Jordan’s terms in 2028; however, if a Democrat takes Kuney’s seat, it would flip a red county to blue as progressives eye near complete control of the Spokane City Council. If a Republican beats Waldref, the majority will expand.
The commissioners have faced deficits for the last few years, which will likely continue to some extent this year, according to budget forecasts presented last fall. The county balanced a $20 million hole last month, which French has largely attributed to state mandates and Washington Supreme Court rulings.
The future makeup of the board could affect those budget discussions if any of the three Republicans give up their seats to Democrats. Only one conservative, Councilmember Michael Cathcart, is left on the Spokane City Council after the last election, and he plans to run for county auditor this year, too.
