Next year will play host to the race for mayor of Spokane. Three candidates are currently in the mix: Ben Stuckart, Chris Schroll, and Shawn Poole.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The midterms are over, the next presidential election is two years away, but the campaigning won’t stop in 2019.

Next year will play host to the race for mayor of Spokane. Three candidates are currently in the mix: Ben Stuckart, Chris Schroll, and Shawn Poole.

Each falls at a different place along the political spectrum, although all three tend to agree on the most pressing issues facing Spokane.

Here’s a perhaps-too-soon overview of the 2019 election.

The Candidates

Of the three candidates who've filed so far, the one most Spokanites are most familiar with is Ben Stuckart. He's spent six years as president of the Spokane City Council.

One of his opponents will be Shawn Poole, a lieutenant in the Spokane Fire Department.

The third candidate, Chris Schroll, is an Eastern graduate.

Two other candidates filed but dropped out after Stuckart announced.

The Politics

The office of Spokane mayor is non-partisan.

Of the three, Schroll is the furthest left. He identifies as a progressive and often aligns with the Democratic Socialists.

Stuckart is also a Democrat, though he doesn't lean as far left.

Poole is the lone conservative in the race right now.

The Issues

When it comes to the issues, all three candidates include housing and homelessness among their top three priorities.

Stuckart and Poole also cited public safety and decreasing property crime.

Poole also cited repairing infrastructure as a priority. Stuckart added improving urban growth and density. Schroll wants to bolster small business.

He also included keeping young people in Spokane and increasing cultural diversity as top issues.

The Reasons

We asked each candidate why they wanted to run for mayor.

Stuckart said he wants to continue the work he's doing on the council, namely implementing a comprehensive plan for urban growth.

Schroll said Spokane needs newer, bolder, and younger ideas.

Poole said he feels the taxpayers are being taken advantage of, and he wants to cut city spending.

The Money

Here's a very early look at how much money the candidates have raised so far.

Poole has the most, with just shy of $3,000.

Stuckart has just shy of $2,000.