Following the Money: Campaign Spending

Following the Money: Campaign Spending

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By Molly Kelleher

WASHINGTON - The ballots are due Tuesday, so the campaigns are spending fast and furious.

Action News pulled the numbers to see who's spending big for your vote.

With no presidential election or governor seat up for grabs, the attention in this election is centered on statewide ballot measures.

On Initiative 1033 voters will decide whether to cap government revenue growth. It's the the latest effort by initiative promoter Tim Eyman.

Eyman might have the name recognition, but his opponents apparently have the spending power. $634,000 has been spent to approve I-1033
but the opposition has raised and spent five times that amount.

More than $2 million has been spent on Referendum 71. The so-called "Everything but Marriage" referendum asks voters to approve or reject the final expansion to the state's domestic partnership law.

There are $2 million in contributions for people in favor of R-71 and about a half-million dollars against.

The biggest single donation to the campaign in support of the measure came from Microsoft, which gave $100,000.

The statewide ballot issues have been getting your attention mainly because of the money backing them. But Action News wanted to follow the money of local elections too and there's some big bucks here as well.

It's a tight race for the 16th District state seat. Democratic Representative Laura Grant is facing off against Republican Terry Nealey.

Grant was appointed to the seat after her dad, longtime state Rep. Bill Grant died this year.

Action News went through each campaign's spending reports and we found Nealey has raised more and is spending more than Grant, but not by much. Both are spending around $150,000.

Both are getting ads on TV, radio and in local newspapers.

Four seats are up for grabs on the Yakima City Council.

Maureen Adkison so far has spent about $19,000. Her opponent Paul George has only a quarter of that.

The most money spent so far comes from Sonia Rodriquez -- about $20,000 to keep her seat. State reports show her opponent Dave Ettl has raised $775 and has spent only $129. That seemed low, so Action News contacted him. He says the report is wrong, he's raised $8,000. But the WA Public Disclosure Commission says this report was up to date as of late last week.

Micah Cawley spent around $19,000 and opponent Mary Place spent about half that.

Bill Lover and Ben Soria are neck and neck in campaign spending, with $17,000 and $18,000 apiece.

These are big dollar figures for a city council race, but stakes are high for local and state elections. That's why it's an all out spending sprint to the finish.

Those campaign reports reflect spending all the way up until last week.
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