Kate Tellus sworn in as Spokane City Council member for District 2

Kate Tellus was sworn in as Spokane City Council member for District 2 at a ceremony in the Spokane City Council chamber, where Judge Biggs administered the oath of office.

The swearing-in ceremony opened with brief remarks from the council president, who welcomed attendees and introduced Tellus’s background, noting her family roots in public service. Council leaders and several elected officials attended the event.

Tellus placed her hand on a family Bible she said belonged to her great-great-grandmother, Susanna McNair Gregory, and repeated the oath led by the judge: “I, Kate Tellus, do solemnly swear … that I will support the constitutions and laws of The United States of America and the constitution and laws of the state of Washington, and the city charter and all ordinances of the city of Spokane, and that I will faithfully, honestly, and impartially perform and discharge the duties of the office of Spokane City Council as a city council member representing District 2, Position 2.” After the oath, Judge Biggs said, “Congratulations, miss Tellus.”

In her brief remarks, Tellus thanked family members — naming Alex Tellis, her children Eliana and Liam, her in-laws Karen and Sherman, her mother Sharon and stepfather Mike — and an extended list of campaign volunteers. She credited volunteers and staff for the outreach that led to her election, saying they “knocked on almost 3,000 doors” and “wrote more than 5,000 postcards.” (A later line in the transcript gives an inconsistent higher door-knock figure; the campaign’s statement in the ceremony emphasized the volunteer effort rather than an exact final tally.)

Tellus framed the swearing-in as the start of public service and urged civic participation: “stay involved, stay engaged, email your council members,” and closed with, “let's get to work.” The ceremony was ceremonial in nature; no formal council vote or policy action was recorded during the event.

Attendees named during the introduction included former council members and local officials called out from the chamber, among them Lori Kinnear, Senator Eric Paulson, Judge Logan, and Mayor Brown. Council staff and a number of campaign volunteers were also recognized.

Tellus’s remarks emphasized service and collaboration; she told the audience the campaign was “built on teamwork” and repeatedly thanked volunteers and family. The next formal council business and any committees on which Tellus will serve were not addressed during the ceremony.