Cheney 2025 Candidates
Hi all, and Happy Pride Month! May flew by fast with two City Council meetings and Spokane County Elections filing week. This update will focus primarily on the results of filing week and the individuals—myself included—who stepped up to run for Cheney’s elected offices. I’ll also share details about a couple upcoming events hosted by the Cheney Members Association, where you'll have the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates.
First off, here are the May City Council Meeting Recordings, with agendas in the video description for reference:
Elections Filing Week Outcome
Each year, candidates have just one week to file for office through Spokane County Elections. This year, the filing window was open from Monday, May 5 at 8:00 a.m. through Friday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m., with the deadline to withdraw set for Monday, May 12 at 5:00 p.m.
Below are the Cheney positions up for election this year and the candidates who officially filed, as also listed on the Spokane County Elections website. Races with three or more candidates will appear on your August Primary Election ballot to narrow the field to the top two. Races with two or fewer candidates will go straight to the November General Election ballot.
City of Cheney
The folks listed below will appear on your ballot if you're registered to vote at an address within the official City of Cheney limits. Keep in mind, having a “Cheney” mailing address doesn’t necessarily mean you live within the city boundaries—be sure to check a map like this one to confirm.
Cheney has a "strong mayor" form of government which is described as follows:
"In a typical strong-mayor system, the elected mayor is granted almost total administrative authority with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads, although some city charters or prevailing state law may require council ratification. In such a system, the mayor's administrative staff often prepares the city budget, although that budget must be approved by the council. The mayor may also have veto rights over council votes, with the council able to override such a veto."
- Mayor
- Chris Grover (incumbent)
- Elsa Martin
All Cheney City Council seats are "at large," meaning candidates can live anywhere within the city limits and run for any seat up for election.
- City Council, Position 1 (currently held by Paul Schmidt who is not re-running making this an open seat)
- Mia Pesefea
- Shelly Hahn
- City Council, Position 3
- Mark Posthuma (unchallenged incumbent)
- City Council, Position 4 (currently held by Teresa Overhauser who is not re-running making this a second open seat)
- Shawn Ricketson
- Rebecca Long (me)
- Timothy Steiner
Cheney School District
The Cheney School District (CSD) extends well beyond the City of Cheney's boundaries. While candidates must live in the specific director district they’re running to represent, all voters residing anywhere within the CSD are eligible to vote in each race. So, if you're registered to vote at an address within the CSD, you'll see the candidates listed below on your November ballot. You can view the CSD Director Districts and the full district area using the map below.
- Director, District 1
- Mark Scott (incumbent)
- Kyle Belock
- Director, District 2
- Elizabeth Winer (incumbent)
- Jessica Davis
Upcoming Candidate Discussions
Thanks to the Cheney Members Association, you have a couple of opportunities this week to hear directly from the candidates running for Mayor and City Council. They’ve invited these candidates to speak at their June member and merchant meetings. This is a great chance to meet the people who will be on your ballot, learn why they're running, what issues matter most to them, and ask the questions that matter most to you.
Member Meeting
📍 Wren Pierson Community Center
📅 Wednesday, June 4
🕔 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Merchant Meeting
📍 El Rodeo
📅 Wednesday, June 4
🕔 5:30 - 6:30 pm
** Full disclosure, as a candidate myself for City Council, I will be at both of these meetings and hope lots of you are able to join!
I'm really excited to see such a competitive election taking shape this year across almost every seat. In most years, most races seem to go unopposed—it's not easy to find people willing or able to step up and run. But this year, Cheney voters have real choices and a strong slate of candidates to consider.
I encourage everyone to take the time to get to know each candidate, ask thoughtful questions, share the issues that matter most to you, and make your voice heard at the ballot box.
Healthy competition leads to stronger candidates and, ultimately, a stronger community. Thank you to everyone who’s stepped forward to run—your willingness to serve is appreciated. Happy campaigning!