EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series on Nov. 4 general election campaign contributions. The first installment appeared Sunday.
OLYMPIA — Democratic incumbents have outspent their Republican challengers in the races for 24th District representative.
Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, led all four candidates for the state House of Representatives seat that represents Clallam, Jefferson and part of Grays Harbor counties.
The House majority leader had cash contributions of $154,905 and expenditures of $104,362 as of Friday afternoon.
Her opponent, Randy Dutton of Montesano, had raised $4,350 — less than 3 percent of Kessler’s war chest — and spent $2,306.
Meanwhile, Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, had gathered $99,470, more than five times the $18,736 contributed to his challenger, Thomas Thomas of Joyce.
By Friday afternoon, Van De Wege, who is seeking a second term, had spent $79,585 while Thomas listed expenditures of $13,892.
Highlights of each candidate’s contributions and spending included:
Kessler
The eight-term incumbent’s major contributors ranged from Annheuser-Busch ($1,300) to Wells Fargo & Co. ($500), according to state Public Disclosure Commission listings of donations of more than $500.
Although Kessler, 67, listed no single contribution greater than $800, several contributors made repeated donations.
Such were the Hoh Tribal Council and the Muckleshoot tribe, both of which gave Kessler $1,600.
Business and labor each kicked in. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly contributed $1,500.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Union of Operating Engineers and the Service Employees International Union all donated $800.
Other major contributors to Kessler’s re-election campaign included:
• Astrazeneca, $1,000.
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, $800.
• Credit Union Legislative Action Fund, $1,600.
• Holland America Line, $1,325.
• Lower Elwha Tribe Enterprise, $500.
• National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, $700.
• Northwest Grocery Association, $1,600.
• Premera Blue Cross, $1,400.
• Puget Sound Pilots, $1,600.
• Qwest Washington Political Action Committee, $1,400.
• Rayonier Inc., $1,400.
• Regence Blue Shield, $1,500.
• University of Washington Education Committee, $1,600.
• Verizon Communications Inc., $1,400
• Washington Chiropractic Trust, $1,600.
• Washington Hospital Political Action Committee, $1,600.
• Washington Physical Therapy PAC, $1,600.
• Washington State Dental PAC, $1,600.
• Walgreens, $800.
• Waste Management, $800.
Kessler’s in-kind contributors were led by the House Democratic Campaign Committee with $7,985.
Her largest expenditures are an $85,000 “primary funds deposit to surplus account,” followed by $1,815 for brochures and an initial $1,468 for signs.
Dutton
Dutton, 52, listed none of the national corporations or big-league state donors of Kessler’s camp.
His biggest single donor was Gary Randall, an Aberdeen businessman who contributed $1,600.
A few familiar Republican names emerged from his list of contributors:
• Jim Buck, former state representative, $500.
• David Cummins, $200.
• Kaj Ahlburg, $50.
Buck also made a $750 in-kind contribution for used signs, and Thomas Thomas — Van De Wege’s opponent — gave Dutton $250 worth of stakes.
Dutton’s biggest expenditure was $505 to himself for political sign reimbursement.
Dutton is the vice president of FPM Inc., a technology packaging firm, and owns a 124-acre tree farm.
Van De Wege
Like Kessler, the 34-year-old incumbent freshman legislator’s contributions spanned a wide range of business, professional, labor, tribal and political organizations.
Van De Wege, a Sequim firefighter-paramedic, also enjoyed support from his colleagues: $800 from the Vancouver Firefighters and $500 each from the Port Townsend and the Richland chapters of the International Association of Firefighters.
Van De Wege’s contributions also were notable for donations from fellow Democrats: $2,000 from the Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee, $700 from the Clallam County Democratic Central Committee, $500 from the 24th Legislative District Central Committee, and $500 from the Clallam County Democratic Club.
Other contributors of more than $500 included:
• Campaign for Tribal Self-Reliance of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, $1,500.
• Hoh Tribal Council, $1,600.
• Puget Sound Pilots, $1,600.
• Service Employees International Union: $800.
• Washington State Troopers PAC, $800.
• Jamestown S’Klallam tribe, $1,400.
• Quinault Indian Reservation, $700.
• Qwest Washington PAC: $1,400.
• Rayonier, Inc.: $1,400.
• United Food and Commercial Workers, $1,400.
• Washington Teamsters Legislative League, $700.
Van De Wege’s in-kind contributions were led by $8,818 from the House Democratic Central Committee.
A $30,000 contribution to the House Democratic Campaign committee topped his expenditures. His next largest expense was for payroll of $6,917.
Thomas
Van De Wege’s challenger received $7,701 from the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee and $1,400 from the Liberty Fund PAC.
Most of the other contributions to Thomas, 40 — who is the co-owner with his wife, Lisa Thomas, of Straitbroadband Communications– come from individuals, including $250 each from Jim and Donna Buck, and $100 from David Cummins.
In-kind contributions included $800 from Dan Harvey and from Paul Mehan for signs and stakes, $800 from Leonard Pierce for office space, and $250 from Greg and Shelly Taylor for photography.
His expenditures were topped by $4,907 for mailings and $1,623 for signs.
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Reporter Jim Casey can be reached at 360-417-3538 or at jim.casey@peninsuladailynews.com.
