WASHINGTON – Republi-can Mike McGavick has raised more than $1.4 million in his bid for the U.S. Senate, but still badly trails incumbent Democrat Maria Cantwell in the race for campaign cash.
Cantwell, who was elected to the Senate in 2000, raised nearly $7 million in 2005 and has more than $5 million on hand, according to campaign finance reports filed at the end of January.
McGavick, who recently stepped down as head of insurance provider Safeco Corp., has about $955,000 on hand, his report said. The reports cover the three months that ended Dec. 31, a time when McGavick was still running Safeco. He stepped down Jan. 1 to campaign full time.
“I think we’re very pleased with the start we’ve had,” McGavick said Wednesday. “Whenever you are in a race with an incumbent who has been raising money for five years, it’s a tough fight.”
McGavick, who began broadcasting his first TV ads this week, said he is still in the beginning stages of the campaign, which officially kicked off Jan. 21.
“The bottom line is until the end of the year, I was still CEO of Safeco and very much a part-time candidate,” McGavick said. Now, “I can be a full-time candidate, and that’s a wonderful change, so we’re feeling very good about the campaign.”
Cantwell’s campaign was also pleased with its totals. Cantwell raised more $1.6 million in the last three months of the year – more than twice as much as McGavick in the same period – according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
