Democratic state Representative Natasha Hill is seeking a second term representing Washington’s 3rd Legislative District, facing competition from Republican Tony Kiepe and independent candidate John Kness in the August 4 primary election.
The district encompasses nearly all of Spokane County and has remained a Democratic stronghold east of the Cascades for decades. Hill, a lawyer and community organizer, won her first election in 2024 with a margin exceeding 17 percentage points over Kiepe.
Hill’s Legislative Record and Priorities
During her first term, Hill sponsored several pieces of legislation that reflected her priorities on taxation, environmental management, and tribal consultation. She backed a statewide land banking authority law that exempts participating land banks from state and local taxes. She also supported extending the timeline for the Spokane Waste-to-Energy facility as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Another Hill-backed measure requires local health boards to include tribal representation from each tribe operating within the county. On fiscal policy, Hill voted in favor of an income tax on millionaires, positioning herself as favoring a more progressive approach to state revenue.
When discussing her tax philosophy, Hill emphasized constituent demands: “What folks in our communities asked for was to fix the tax code – make it more progressive…so the people who have the most are paying a more fair share.”
Kiepe’s Affordability Focus and Tax Concerns
Kiepe, a health insurance agent running as the Republican candidate, has centered his campaign on government spending and affordability. He points to the dramatic growth in Washington’s state budget as evidence of fiscal mismanagement. “Our budget was $33 billion just 15 years ago. Now it’s over $80 billion. When are they going to realize they are being taxed to death?” Kiepe said.
His policy positions include backing tax cuts and opposing the millionaire income tax that Hill supported. This represents a stark philosophical divide between the two major-party candidates on the role of government and progressive taxation.
The race between Hill and Kiepe has included mutual accusations regarding racial rhetoric. Kiepe drew criticism for using the term “OTM” (other than Mexican) when discussing unlawful border crossers, language that Hill characterized as inappropriate.
Independent Candidate Proposes Direct Democracy Model
John Kness, running without party affiliation, brings a distinctly different approach to the race. A Jiffy Lube manager with no prior political experience, Kness has proposed an unconventional model for representing constituents: allowing voters to determine how he casts votes on House bills through an online platform.
Under Kness’s proposal, he would vote according to whichever position receives more than 50 percent support from participating constituents on each measure. This direct democracy approach contrasts sharply with the traditional representative model that both Hill and Kiepe would follow, wherein elected officials make voting decisions based on their judgment and constituent input.
The three candidates represent fundamentally different visions for the district. Hill seeks to continue her progressive agenda focused on wealth redistribution through the tax code and expanded government programs. Kiepe proposes rolling back government spending and lowering the tax burden on all income levels. Kness offers a hybrid model that places voting decisions directly in constituents’ hands through digital participation.
The primary election is scheduled for August 4, 2026. In a heavily Democratic district, the primary outcome will likely determine the general election result, though the presence of the independent candidate could affect how votes are distributed among the three choices.
What Comes Next
Voters will cast ballots in the primary on August 4. The candidate who prevails will face any remaining opponents in the November general election, though in a solidly Democratic district, primary results typically correlate closely with final outcomes. All three candidates will continue campaigning through the primary, with their contrasting visions on taxes, government spending, and representation becoming the focal points of voter deliberation in the coming weeks.