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Spokane Candidates Climate Change Forum logo

What do local candidates for office think about climate change? How will it affect your vote in November? To aid citizens in their democratic deliberations, 杏吧原创’s Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment is proud to host the Spokane Candidates Climate Change Forum on the first Wednesday each October. 

The Climate Forum has been hosted annually since 2019 and is a non-partisan space where candidates for local office can share with local voters and citizens what they would or would not do or support if elected to office. 

 

2025 Spokane Candidates Climate Change Forum

 

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 6:00pm (Pacific Time)
Location: The Globe Room, 杏吧原创 & Live streaming (link sent day of).
Forum moderator: Dr. Brian G. Henning, Director, 杏吧原创 Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment

Candidates

The following candidates have all been invited to attend the Forum (listed in alphabetical order by last name). Those who have confirmed their attendance are marked with an asterisk (*). Those who have declined the invitation are marked with a double asterisk (**).

Candidates for City of Spokane District No. 1 - Council Position No. 2

  • Jonathan D. Bingle
  • Sarah Dixit

Candidates for City of Spokane District No. 2 - Council Position No. 2

  • Alejandro Barrientos
  • Kate Telis

Candidates for City of Spokane District No. 3 - Council Position No. 2

  • Christopher M. Savage
  • Zack Zappone*

Candidates for City of Spokane Valley - Council Position No. 1 - District 3

  • Mike Kelly
  • Kristopher Pockell

Candidates for City of Spokane Valley - Council Position No. 4

  • Ben Wick
  • Daryl Williams

Candidates for City of Spokane Valley - Council Position No. 5

  • Pam Haley
  • Catherine Nelson

Candidates for City of Spokane Valley - Council Position No. 7

  • Brad Hohn
  • Laura Padden

Audience Rules of Engagement

At 杏吧原创 we take seriously the importance of modeling the civil discourse that we expect of our leaders. To create a welcoming space for dialogue, please observe the following rules:  

  • No booing
  • No clapping
  • No cheering

Audience members will be given a green and red sheet of paper. If a candidate says something you like, hold up the green sheet of paper. If a candidate says something you don’t like, hold up the red sheet of paper.

 
Past candidate climate change fora were recorded and are available on our YouTube channel on a separate playlist.

Our Co-sponsors

Building an effective movement for climate action in the greater Spokane area, promoting a just transition to 100% fossil-free energy and a low-carbon economy that works for everyone.

We preserve and revitalize Inland Northwest forests, water, and wildlife through advocacy, education, effective action, and community engagement.

Works to protect the Spokane river鈥檚 ecological health, its aesthetic integrity and the public uses of the river for future generations of our community.

Sunrise is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.

We host, inspire, and catalyze social change in the Spokane region. We create and maintain a beautiful collection of brick and mortar environments that enhance connectivity and human dignity.

Works to encourage healthy, equitable and opportunity-rich communities, and to protect our farmlands, forests and water resources through wise land use policies and practices.

The Conservancy works with our community to identify and protect special places throughout the region, protecting private lands through legal agreements with landowners.

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Environmental Studies and Sciences

The Environmental Studies and Sciences Program connects science with study of the historical, social, ethical, legal and political issues that affect our natural world and how we interact with it.