Washington House of Representatives candidates Natasha Hill and Ben Stuckart give contradictory accounts of the Spokane Pride incident

SPOKANE, Wash. – Natasha Hill and Ben Stuckart, both running to succeed state Rep. Marcus Riccelli, have given differing accounts of an argument that allegedly took place at the Spokane Pride Festival last weekend.

The dispute was first reported in The Spokesman Review. Hill says she campaigned at the festival by comparing her position on rent control to that of Stuckart, who had already left the festival by that point.

“It is important that voters know that I support long-term rent stabilization ordinances, but my opponent does not. I respect my opponent and expect him to represent his policy positions as much as I do mine,” Hill said in a media statement.

Hill says Spokane County Democratic Chair Naida Spencer threatened to call security when she spoke about the differences between her campaign and Stuckart’s.

“I am disappointed that a genuine disagreement over policy shared at Pride has been escalated to this level. I am used to the fact that passion and emotion can be misconstrued as anger or aggression by the public, especially as a black woman. However, I firmly believe that voters should have a real choice and understand the policy differences between the candidates,” Hill said.

Spokane County Democrats endorsed both Hill and Stuckart for the position in late May. Spencer says the party is currently conducting an internal investigation into the dispute.

“Spokane County Democrats have been in touch with Natasha and attempting to gather information about the events of last weekend. We have been working on an internal resolution. We hope to continue working with Natasha Hill as we all work toward the same goals of social and racial equality and justice,” Spencer said.

Stuckart says he supports limited forms of rent control and argues that Hill’s behavior has made volunteers feel unsafe.

“All I know is that volunteers should not be attacked and should feel safe. I have spoken to enough witnesses to know that this is not the case. My opponent continues to misunderstand my position on several issues. I support rent control, but it must be accompanied by legislation designed to increase housing creation, and it must be continually evaluated to ensure there are no unintended consequences,” Stuckart said.

According to The Spokesman, Hill resigned from the Spokane County Party following the incident.

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