WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES: Donations to candidates show trends

Karina Andrew reports on the legislative campaigns.

In races for the Washington state House of Representatives affecting Whidbey Island, Democratic candidates received funding primarily from individuals while businesses and PACs were among Republican candidates’ top supporters, according to the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.

But according to candidates, these numbers alone may not tell the whole story of who is backing their campaigns.

They Said It

To [Clyde] Shavers, the high percentage of donations coming from individuals — and the fact that contributions to his campaign have kept pace with Gilday’s — is indicative of broad support among District 10’s residents. Shavers said he has received contributions not just from members of his own party, but from Republicans and Independents as well.

“We really are running a campaign dedicated to ordinary citizens,” he said.

He pointed out that his opponent, Republican incumbent [Greg] Gilday, has received less than half of his contributions from individuals and has been funded in large part by big corporations.

Gilday, however, said this shouldn’t be understood to mean that his candidacy doesn’t appeal to local constituents. …many of the large businesses that have backed Gilday’s campaign, though headquartered outside of the 10th District, are major employers locally, the incumbent said.

For example, Gilday said, Amazon has donated to his campaign. Though the Seattle-based tech giant may seem to have little to do with the 10th District, Amazon distribution centers planned in Skagit County and Smokey Point may employ hundreds or thousands of District 10 residents.

He added that smaller local businesses have also supported his campaign. The Public Disclosure Commission counts these establishments among the businesses that have contributed, though Gilday said support from a small business is often tantamount to support from an individual.

As for receiving money from oil companies, Gilday pointed out that the refinery in Anacortes, though itself outside of the district, employs many 10th District constituents.

“They provide a product we all use and that the economy relies on,” he said.

[Karen] Lesetmoe said the reason individual donations have so far made up less than a quarter of her total contributions is that she has been hesitant to ask a community already strained by inflation for money.

“We already have so many people that are already financially hurting and having a hard time making ends meet,” she said. “It’s just not the way that I have been operating.”

She acknowledged, however, that this will have to change heading into the General Election. As a first-time candidate, she said, she is starting to see the need for more advertising to get her name out there among voters, and she hopes her supporters will understand the urgency.

Lesetmoe’s opponent, Democratic incumbent [Dave] Paul, has been the only District 10 candidate so far to have independent expenditures made against him, though Paul said the attack ads that have been run against him fell flat.

“I think voters saw through the attacks,” he said.

Paul said the more than $200,000 his campaign has received in contributions so far is more than he has ever raised in a primary election before. About a quarter of his contributions, or $48,400 have come from PACs. Though he has received more PAC money than his Democratic counterpart Shavers, Paul said the PACs supporting him are organizations promoting workers’ rights, addressing climate change and otherwise reflecting the values of the local community.