In first half of 2015, Washingtonians gave Clinton more than $738K

OLYMPIA — Washington residents are spreading their dough around to all the contenders in the wide-open race for president.

White House hopefuls hauled in $1.33 million from donors in this state in the first half of 2015 including a $250 contribution to a Republican long shot and nearly three-quarters of a million dollars to the Democratic Party favorite.

Washington’s total is about 1 percent of the $125 million raised nationally by Democratic and Republican candidates through June 30, according to reports compiled by the Federal Election Commission.

And, as is the tradition, Washington residents provide more dollars for Democrats than Republicans.

Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton garnered the most money, $738,490, and fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose surging candidacy has Clinton on her heels, hauled in the next largest sum, $185,235.

Among Republicans, Ben Carson topped the field with $94,205 followed by Sen. Marco Rubio ($84,810), Sen. Ted Cruz ($72,257) and Jeb Bush ($69,800). Sen. Rand Paul tallied up $47,134 and Carly Fiorina netted $15,123.

In all, three Democrats and 10 Republicans received contributions from residents in Washington, according to federal records.

Donald Trump, the leader in the battle for the GOP nomination, isn’t on the list because he’s using his own money to pay for his campaign. He did set up a campaign committee in late June and received some donations, though none from Washington residents, according to federal records.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn’t either because he entered the race June 30, and neither is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker who got in, and out, since July 1.

They could show up in the next round of fundraising totals due out in a few days.

Wednesday was the end of the current reporting period. Candidates will tally their contributions from July 1 through Sept. 30 and turn them in to the FEC, which will make them public in mid-October.

Bush, Rubio, Cruz and Paul will see their totals rise for certain as each has held a fundraiser in Washington in the past three months. And Sanders held a rally in Seattle in August that drew 12,000 people and should have stimulated donations to his campaign.

In the meantime, all the activities of candidates should provide collateral benefit to their political parties, which are always looking to amass money in advance of a busy 2016 election season.

“There is an effect. I think the excitement for the presidential campaign is helping,” said Jamal Raad, state Democratic Party spokesman. “I think the attention for the Republican presidential (candidate) debates has gotten more people interested, active and willing to give to our emails.”

For Republican candidates, the state’s presidential primary in May is shaping up to be an important source of delegates. That might push GOP hopefuls to make several forays into Washington in the coming months to raise money and win votes.

“Our priority is the voice of the voters,” said Steve Beren, spokesman for the state GOP. “The presidential primary is vitally important, and the Democratic Party deserves condemnation for blocking an early primary. Our focus is on carrying the state for whoever wins the GOP presidential nomination.”

Parsing through pages of contributions, names of Snohomish County residents appear on the list for most candidates in both parties.

Clinton, for example, received $2,700 each from the Tulalip Tribes and Clay Siegall, of Woodway, the president and chief executive officer of Seattle Genetics, a biotechnology company researching cancer therapies.

She received similar amounts from a slew of executives of Microsoft, Starbucks and Costco. But there also are multiple contributions less than $100 from residents of Monroe, Lynnwood, Everett and Edmonds.

Sanders garnered financial support from those living in Snohomish, Smokey Point, Lake Stevens and Mill Creek as well as Everett, Edmonds and Lynnwood.

He got his largest contribution in the state from Alex and Jeannette Golitzin, of Snohomish, owners of QuilCeda Creek Vintners. They each gave $5,000. Under federal law, an individual can give a maximum of $5,400 per election cycle.

On the Republican side, most of Carson’s money came from residents of cities east of the Cascades like Spokane, Pasco and Kennewick. However, he did record contributions from four residents of Snohomish County.

Rubio’s donors, by comparison, are scattered on the east and west side of the state, including a half dozen in the county. Topping the list is David Barber, of Edmonds, president of the Bartell-Barber Family Council, who gave the maximum $5,400.

Cruz took in roughly $4,000 from county residents, of which $342 came from Janice Buckley, of Snohomish, founder of the nonprofit Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors.

Bush’s total includes $750 from two county residents. Most of his money came in the form of $2,700 checks written by attendees at private events in April hosted by, among others, commercial developer Clyde Holland and cellular technology exec Craig McCaw.

Paul pulled in roughly $2,000 from five residents while no one in Snohomish County gave to Fiorina early in the year, according to the records.

Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor, collected $5,400 from venture capitalist Nick Hanauer and his wife, Leslie.

On the GOP side, longshot Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal received $250 from a Seattle man while former Texas Gov. Rick Perry — who withdrew from the race this summer — got $500 from a Vancouver man.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Donations

Candidates for president raised $1,325,004 from Washington residents through June 30, 2015. Here is the breakdown as tallied by the Federal Election Commission.

Democrats: $929,125

Hillary Clinton: $738,490

Bernie Sanders: $185,235

Martin O’Malley: $5,400

Republicans*: $395,879

Ben Carson: $94,205

Marco Rubio: $84,810

Ted Cruz: $72,757

Jeb Bush: $69,800

Rand Paul: $47,134

Carly Fiorina: $15,123

Lindsey Graham: $8,050