Data centers spur 4th district Spokane County Commissioner race
Data center concerns have become a central issue in the race for Spokane County’s 4th District commissioner seat. Write-in candidate Rachelle Miller advanced to the general election on an anti-data center platform after the county commission enacted a four-month moratorium on permit approvals for such projects.
Rachelle Miller, a write-in independent candidate for Spokane County’s 4th District commissioner seat, advanced to the general election after receiving about 4% of the vote in the August primary. Her campaign grew out of concerns about potential data center development in southeastern Spokane County, making the issue a major point of contrast with state Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, who initially faced no opposition.
The controversy intensified after public records showed Commissioner Al French had discussed a potential data center with Apricus Energy Partners. Following criticism, the Spokane County Commission voted unanimously in August to impose a four-month moratorium on permit approvals for data center projects. Miller has called data centers a major threat to the community, citing concerns about electricity costs, water disposal and impacts on underground water sources, while Schmidt said she would oppose projects that harmed residents or depleted local resources but argued that proposals should be evaluated transparently and based on clear information.