Meet the biggest donors in county election campaigns
Sunday, November 20, 2011 | 12:01 am
More than $1 million went toward bankrolling the dozen biggest political contests in Snohomish County this election season.
Where did the money come from?
The campaign-spending database maintained by the state Public Disclosure Commission makes it easy to get answers for individual candidates. But to identify the high rollers -- the folks who place their bets in multiple races or who spend money in ways designed to send a message -- it is necessary to go a step beyond. Thousands of individual contributions need to be brought together in one place and the numbers given a good crunching.
Below is the result, a list of the 130 organizations, businesses and people who spent at least $1,500 locally.
The biggest financial backers were developers and builders, unions, political parties and organizations that want to protect access to abortion. Others included business lobbyists, waste disposal companies and the uber-wealthy, particularly from King County.
A few highlights from the raw data:
• The state Affordable Housing Council, the political action committee of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, spent the most on local races, more than $32,000. Nearly 80 percent went toward backing Aaron Reardon's successful bid for a third term as county executive. *
• Not far behind were members of the Service Employees International Union. Again, nearly 80 percent of the money backed Reardon.
• Members of the Robinett family and the development companies they oversee ponied up more than $20,000. They spread support among a number of candidates, including Reardon, but even more so helped his Republican challenger, state Rep. Mike Hope.
• Abortion-rights advocates directed more than $20,000 to local races. The bulk of that money ($15,000) went toward an anti-Hope mailer produced by Moxie Media. That's the Seattle political consulting company facing a state attorney general lawsuit over its role in a false-flag campaign during the 2010 election season. The trial is scheduled for early next year.
* Correction, Nov. 21, 2011: Correction: The Affordable Housing Council is a political action committee of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. A different group represents the Building Industry Association of Washington. An earlier version of this post was in error.
Where did the money come from?
The campaign-spending database maintained by the state Public Disclosure Commission makes it easy to get answers for individual candidates. But to identify the high rollers -- the folks who place their bets in multiple races or who spend money in ways designed to send a message -- it is necessary to go a step beyond. Thousands of individual contributions need to be brought together in one place and the numbers given a good crunching.
Below is the result, a list of the 130 organizations, businesses and people who spent at least $1,500 locally.
Donors of more than $1,500
| Contributor | Count | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AFFORDABLE HOUSING COUNCIL | 18 | $32,750.00 |
| SEIU HEALTHCARE 775NW QUALITY CARE COMMITTEE | 5 | $20,457.23 |
| WASHINGTON STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY | 6 | $16,750.00 |
| NARAL PRO-CHOICE WASHINGTON PAC | 6 | $13,654.18 |
| WA STATE DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE | 3 | $12,000.00 |
| SHEET METAL WORKERS LOCAL 66 | 7 | $9,500.00 |
| PACIFIC NW REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS | 11 | $7,400.00 |
| WA ST COUNCIL OF CO & CITY EMPLOYEES | 12 | $6,750.00 |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES! WASHINGTON | 4 | $6,638.85 |
| SEIU HEALTHCARE 775NW | 8 | $5,800.00 |
| IBEW LOCAL 191 | 8 | $5,500.00 |
| WASHINGTON MACHINISTS COUNCIL | 9 | $5,300.00 |
| ROWLEY GEORGE W | 1 | $5,000.00 |
| WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS PAC | 9 | $4,950.00 |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT | 6 | $4,800.00 |
| ROBINETT MARTIN | 8 | $4,500.00 |
| CONSUMER FIREWORKS SAFETY ASSOCIATION PAC | 6 | $4,200.00 |
| ECHELBARGER MICHAEL | 10 | $4,150.00 |
| ROBINETT HENRY | 13 | $4,115.00 |
| REPUBLIC SERVICES INC. | 7 | $4,100.00 |
| STRATEGIES 360 INC. | 5 | $3,700.00 |
| QUADRANT HOMES | 9 | $3,500.00 |
| RUBATINO EDWARD | 9 | $3,450.00 |
| WESTERN BLOWER ASSOCIATES | 2 | $3,300.00 |
| ROBINETT LAUREEN | 6 | $3,200.00 |
| BRAINERD PAUL | 6 | $3,200.00 |
| TULALIP TRIBES | 4 | $3,200.00 |
| ROBINETT DONNA | 9 | $3,115.00 |
| PODANY FRANK | 4 | $2,900.00 |
| BALLARD KEVIN | 5 | $2,900.00 |
| NW WA BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL | 3 | $2,600.00 |
| INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL #302 | 4 | $2,600.00 |
| LABORERS LOCAL 292 | 4 | $2,550.00 |
| FIRST SOUTH PROPERTIES LLC | 1 | $2,500.00 |
| ROBINETT MANAGEMENT CO. LLC | 4 | $2,450.00 |
| BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION PAC | 4 | $2,400.00 |
| BANCHERO JOHN | 2 | $2,400.00 |
| WEA PAC | 3 | $2,400.00 |
| EVERETT FIREFIGHTERS I.A.F.F. #46 | 3 | $2,400.00 |
| YOUNG GARY | 8 | $2,350.00 |
| ROULSTONE DOUGLAS | 6 | $2,350.00 |
| CAMWEST DEVELOPMENT LLC | 4 | $2,350.00 |
| WA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION | 4 | $2,200.00 |
| PACIFIC RIDGE HOMES | 4 | $2,150.00 |
| BENNETT TODD | 4 | $2,150.00 |
| BALLARD ALLISON | 3 | $2,100.00 |
| WA AGGREGATE AND CONCRETE ASSOCIATION | 3 | $2,100.00 |
| ROULSTONE BONNIE | 5 | $2,100.00 |
| ENDURANCE INVESTMENTS LLC | 3 | $2,100.00 |
| SKOTDAL CRAIG | 6 | $2,100.00 |
| BENSON BOYD H | 1 | $2,000.00 |
| LYNNWOOD RECYCLING CENTER | 4 | $2,000.00 |
| LANHAM LINDA | 3 | $2,000.00 |
| DAVID EVANS AND ASOCIATES INC | 4 | $1,950.00 |
| GOLF SAVINGS BANK | 3 | $1,900.00 |
| WESTMORELAND CLAUDEL | 3 | $1,900.00 |
| ELI LILLY & COMPANY | 3 | $1,850.00 |
| BOYDEN ROBINETT & ASSOCIATES LP | 3 | $1,850.00 |
| APPLEBY MIKE | 3 | $1,800.00 |
| SNOHOMISH BUSINESS PARK LLC | 3 | $1,800.00 |
| HANSEN EDWARD | 8 | $1,800.00 |
| SKOTDAL ARTHUR | 4 | $1,800.00 |
| REID MIDDLETON INC | 3 | $1,800.00 |
| HARVEY KANDACE | 7 | $1,750.00 |
| DENNY MILLER ASSOCIATES INC | 3 | $1,750.00 |
| GAMUT 360 HOLDINGS | 4 | $1,700.00 |
| PETERSON ROCK | 7 | $1,650.00 |
| AFSCME COUNCIL 2 | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| AEROSPACE FUTURE ALLIANCE | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| APPLEBY DEBBIE | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| FRENCH CREEK HUNT CLUB | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| EISSMANN ED | 5 | $1,600.00 |
| AECOM TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| DWAYNE LANE'S CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE SUZUKI | 5 | $1,600.00 |
| DILLON HOLLY | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| DILLON ERIC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| BARER STANLEY | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| APPLE THREE LLC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| CLEARVIEW SPIRITS AND W | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| CLEAR CHANNEL | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| BURNETT DEE | 6 | $1,600.00 |
| BUILD PAC | 3 | $1,600.00 |
| AT&T SERVICES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| AVIATION TECHNICAL SERVICES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| COUNCIL OF METROPOLITAN POLICE AND SHERIFFS | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| SNO EV INVESTMENTS | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| FRONTIER AIR PARK INVESTORS LLC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| PCF REAL ESTATE SERVICES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| LEHIGH HANSON INC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| QUIL CEDA VILLAGE | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| RAZORE PAUL | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| SABEY CORPORATION | 3 | $1,600.00 |
| SEIU HEALTHCARE 1199NW | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| SKYDIVE SNOHOMISH INC | 4 | $1,600.00 |
| MINA ROBERT | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| SWICKARD JEFF | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| THE MCNAUGHTON GROUP LLC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| THE REGENCE GROUP | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| TRUCKING ACTION COMM | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| UFCW 21 PAC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| WHITNEY LANE LLC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| WRIGHT JEFF MR | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| SHELDON LITA | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| JR HAYES & SONS INC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| GORDON COLE INVESTMENTS | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| HAMPTON LUMBER SALES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| HARVEY DEVELOPMENT | 4 | $1,600.00 |
| HEICHEL FARM LLC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| HINES DAWN | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| HINES FRED W JR | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| HW LOCHNER INC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| PREMERA BLUE CROSS | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| J AND D BUILDERS | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| 1199 NORTHWEST PAC | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| LTK ENGINEERING SERVICES | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| MCCAW BRUCE | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| MCKINLEY BRENT | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| MCKINLEY CONNIE | 2 | $1,600.00 |
| LANE DWAYNE | 5 | $1,575.00 |
| BUSH JERRY | 3 | $1,500.00 |
| ROBBINS BONNIE | 3 | $1,500.00 |
| BASSFORD DENNIS | 4 | $1,500.00 |
| DIXON DAN | 3 | $1,500.00 |
| REYNOLDS STEPHEN | 2 | $1,500.00 |
| SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,500.00 |
| BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY | 3 | $1,500.00 |
| IRON MOUNTAIN QUARRY LLC | 3 | $1,500.00 |
The biggest financial backers were developers and builders, unions, political parties and organizations that want to protect access to abortion. Others included business lobbyists, waste disposal companies and the uber-wealthy, particularly from King County.
A few highlights from the raw data:
• The state Affordable Housing Council, the political action committee of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, spent the most on local races, more than $32,000. Nearly 80 percent went toward backing Aaron Reardon's successful bid for a third term as county executive. *
• Not far behind were members of the Service Employees International Union. Again, nearly 80 percent of the money backed Reardon.
• Members of the Robinett family and the development companies they oversee ponied up more than $20,000. They spread support among a number of candidates, including Reardon, but even more so helped his Republican challenger, state Rep. Mike Hope.
• Abortion-rights advocates directed more than $20,000 to local races. The bulk of that money ($15,000) went toward an anti-Hope mailer produced by Moxie Media. That's the Seattle political consulting company facing a state attorney general lawsuit over its role in a false-flag campaign during the 2010 election season. The trial is scheduled for early next year.
Top contested local races by donations
| Office | Combined donations |
|---|---|
| County executive | $574,239.21 |
| Edmonds mayor | $127,381.84 |
| County Council Position 2 | $82,439.46 |
| County Council Position 3 | $66,841.42 |
| Marysville mayor | $53,339.49 |
| County assessor | $39,876.68 |
| Edmonds City Council Position 4 | $31,625.71 |
| Everett City Council Position 7 | $29,815.81 |
| Everett City Council Position 4 | $29,372.48 |
| Everett Port Commission Position 2 | $27,683.43 |
| Everett City Council Position 6 | $25,851.81 |
| Everett City Council Position 5 | $25,414.48 |
| Edmonds City Council Position 5 | $20,588.40 |
| Total | $1,134,470.22 |
* Correction, Nov. 21, 2011: Correction: The Affordable Housing Council is a political action committee of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. A different group represents the Building Industry Association of Washington. An earlier version of this post was in error.
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