06-08-2025
Zappone will face Savage for Spokane City Council seat in November election
Aug. 5—The fourth time was the charm for delivery driver Christopher Savage, who along with incumbent Spokane City Councilman Zack Zappone will advance to the November election for a city council seat representing northwest Spokane.
Zappone enters the general election fight in a comfortable position, winning 51.4% of the vote Tuesday night compared to 29.2% for Savage.
Private cigar lounge co-owner Cody Arguelles, who had signaled confidence heading into the Tuesday primary with a hefty campaign war chest and fairly frugal spending, received only 18.9% of the vote Tuesday night.
While both challengers are conservatives hoping to unseat a member of the council's liberal majority, Savage's strategy of attending copious public events appears to have overcome Arguelles' frequent closed-door fundraisers and heftier endorsements.
This was Savage's fourth attempt at running for a seat in this district, and this is the first time he has made it out of the primary election.
Headed into the November general, he said he feels like he's within striking distance of Zappone.
"I have a really good chance of picking up all the other voters in Cody's camp, so we're feeling good moving forward," Savage said Tuesday. "We're feeling good about this race and moving forward we're feeling good about what's on the horizon."
Still, Zappone's significant lead Tuesday night suggests an uphill battle is still ahead for Savage.
"I think this shows voters enthusiastically support the work we've done," Zappone said in an interview Tuesday night.
Whoever wins the November election will represent northwest Spokane on the city council for the next four years; the district is also represented by Councilwoman Kitty Klitzke, who was elected to her seat in 2023.
Because of Washington's vote-by-mail system, many votes submitted before the 8 p.m. cutoff have not been counted and Tuesday's results are not final, with results often changing slightly in the days following an election.
About 1,600 ballots received in the City Council district hadn't been tabulated in Tuesday's count, and more will be received in the coming days.
Spokane County will certify its election results no later than Aug. 19.
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