An expensive state senate race in 1st District

Published 11:00 am Thursday, August 18, 2016

By Evan Smith

The state senate race in the 1st Legislative District has involved lots of money.

Democrat Guy Palumbo, who will advance to the Nov. 8 general election after placing second in the Aug. 2 primary, led candidates in fundraising. He had reported raising $94,289 through the primary, much of the money from associates from his time at Amazon. He reported having spent $41,695 through the primary. Independent groups spent $22,640, on his behalf, most of it by Voters for Washington Children, an organization that supports charter schools.

Democrat Luis Moscoso, who was eliminated by placing behind Republican Mindie Wirth and Democrat Palumbo in the primary, reported raising $60,665, much of it from labor organizations, and spending $37,161. He will need to return some money from donors who made contributions for both the primary and the general election. The independent group Voters for Washington Children reported spending $15,000 opposing him.

Wirth had reported raising $72,472 and spending $41,695 before the primary.

Final returns from the Aug. 2 primary certified Tuesday showed Wirth with 40 percent of the vote to 31 percent for Palumbo and 29 percent for Moscoso.

The two leading candidates in the primary advance to the general-election ballot, regardless of party.

The three candidates were running for the position that Democratic State Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe is giving up after six four-year terms.

Moscoso has served three two-year terms in the state House of Representatives.

The 1st Legislative District includes most of Mountlake Terrace, all of Brier and Bothell, north Kirkland, unincorporated areas of King County between Bothell and Kirkland, and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County north and east of Bothell including the Maltby area.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.