Preston McCollam Wins Full Term as Spokane County Prosecutor

Preston McCollam will remain Spokane County prosecutor after voters awarded him his first complete elected term. A third vote count Thursday widened his advantage over independent challenger Danny Tarkenton: McCollam had 53.8% and Tarkenton 45.8%, a gap of more than 13,000 votes. The result came from Spokane County voters in Thursday’s election.

McCollam had been appointed last year to finish the term of his predecessor. Before taking the county’s top prosecution job, he spent more than a decade in the Prosecutor’s Office, including work supervising criminal prosecutions. His background also includes wildland firefighting and teaching as an adjunct professor; he studied at Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga Law School. Tarkenton, who had worked briefly in the office, campaigned around changing how voters view the position, its work and office culture. She later reached a $20,000 settlement concerning accommodations for hearing impairment and PTSD. The tabulation reported Thursday leaves McCollam set to continue in the role.