Spokane County Prosecutor Haskell hangs onto job despite wife’s racist comments

(The Center Square) – Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell, a Republican, won a third term in office by a comfortable lead in Tuesday’s election. He bested Democrat Deb Conklin, nonpartisan candidate who wanted to create a more compassionate criminal justice system.

Preliminary results on Nov. 8 had Haskell with 55.7% of the vote, while Conklin received 43.9%.

“I’m very pleased by it. Thank you to everyone who voted, especially those that voted for me,” Haskell said in a statement after results were posted. “I do believe I’m the right person to be in the office.”

Haskell, 68, is an Air Force veteran who had held office since 2014.

Conklin , a United Methodist minister, was a former deputy prosecuting attorney in Clallam County. She renewed her license to practice law in order to run against Haskell.

Although she conceded the race, Conklin told reporters that she was pleased about having the opportunity to focus a discussion on social justice issues.

“I had hoped that Spokane County was really ready to address the cultural bias that we all are a part of and that is creating disparities in how we’re treating people of color,” she said in her concession speech. “Clearly, we have a lot more work to do. The fight will go on.”

She was one of three women who stepped forward to challenge Haskell in the August primary after his wife, Lesley, came under fire for posting racist comments on a social media platform.

Conklin argued in debates that Haskell’s tough-on-crime approach hasn’t worked and that the community was ready for a more holistic approach to justice that prioritizes people being rehabilitated instead of punished.

Haskell raised more than $50,000 in the race with endorsements from both the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office unions.

Conklin raised more than $34,000 in her quest to replace Haskell. She was endorsed by Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs, City Council member Betsy Wilkerson, the Spokane Firefighters Union and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.

In the primary, Stephanie Olsen, a Republican who formerly worked in Haskell’s office, and Stefanie Collins, a Republican who still works for Haskell, vied with Conklin to challenge Haskell.

All three women publicly stated that they chose to campaign against Haskell because they believe his wife’s behavior has damaged the reputation of the office, which they pledged to restore.

Earlier this year, Lesley Haskell’s comments on the social media site Gab were exposed by media outlets. She referred to herself as a “proud white nationalist” and called MSNBC host Joy Reid the n-word, among other controversial posts.

Her comments have since been removed and Haskell has issued a public apology for his wife’s statements.

At a press conference several months ago, he acknowledged the posts were racist, but said he didn’t believe his wife was a racist.

“They’re reprehensible,” he said of her writings “And they’ve caused a lot of pain.”