Legislature votes $800 limit on local campaign donations

Mar 10, 2010 — The Seattle Times

Lillian Tucker

Mar. 10, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- OLYMPIA -- Last year Kathy Kershner received a campaign contribution of almost $20,000 when she ran for Whatcom County Council. Yet when Speaker of the House Frank Chopp campaigned in 2008, the maximum single donation he was allowed during the general election was $800.

Since 1992, Washington has kept a watchful eye on contributions made to many state campaigns. Candidates for the state Legislature and some county offices are subject to an individual contribution cap of $800 per primary and $800 per general election.

Meanwhile, the sky has been the limit for gifts to campaigns for mayor and city council in many communities, including Bellevue, and for countywide offices where there are fewer than 200,000 registered voters.

Amid continuing concerns that some local offices can appear to be for sale, state lawmakers have approved new contribution ceilings.

In agreement with the House, the Senate voted Tuesday to extend donation limits to elections for local positions.

"Results of elections are being increasingly influenced by money and large donations by special interests," said Craig Salins of Washington Public Campaigns, a group that has strongly supported the bill. "Where do we ring the bell?"

If Gov. Chris Gregoire signs the bill, individuals, unions, political-action committees and other groups will soon be subject to the $800 cap. Under the measure, "bona fide" political parties are subject to separate limitations, based on the number of registered voters.

Localities, such as Seattle, that have already set limits may keep those rules in place as long as they don't exceed the $800 cap.

According to Gregoire's office, the governor has not looked over the final version of the bill but believes that limiting individual contributions adds transparency and integrity to the election process.

"This can easily happen"

The sponsor of Senate Bill 6344, Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, knows what it's like to hit the local campaign trail. Having served on her City Council, she used to believe that council seats could not be bought.

That changed when someone she described as a casual acquaintance recently bragged to her that one major industry had bought a city council -- in a locality Fairley wouldn't name -- and it cost only $25,000. The braggart explained it was easy, Fairley said, because there were no contribution limits.

"They don't have limits but we do," said Fairley.

"This can easily happen: Somebody with money can buy city council people."

It doesn't take a lot of digging into public-disclosure records to see that donations of double and triple the proposed $800 limit are common.

Last year, 38 of 59 candidates for county offices that would be affected by the new rule received contributions of $800 or more, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. A quarter of the candidates for city council offices and 52 percent of mayoral candidates were cushioned by the heavy donations.

In Bellevue's 2009 City Council race, the four candidates with the most money won. One of the major contributors they had in common was the Eastside Business Alliance.

As a group, the alliance spent more than $20,000 on the winning candidates while its individual members made contributions, too.

Incumbent Don Davidson out-raised challenger Michael Marchand with just two checks from the Eastside Business Alliance that totaled $7,000. Marchand's campaign collected $3,680; the largest contribution he received was $500.

Conrad Lee also was given $7,000, and Jennifer Robertson received $6,000 from the business group. Both candidates blew their competition out of the water when it came to bankrolls.

Kevin Wallace, a member of the board of trustees of the Eastside Business Alliance, beat incumbent Patsy Bonincontri in fundraising -- $81,879 to $9,234 -- and on the ballot.

"I don't think that candidates can be bought. I have much more faith in our political system and our candidates," said Jim Hill of Kemper Development, who is on the Eastside Business Alliance board. "It is just going to make candidates, both new and incumbents, work a bit harder during the year and during the campaign season."

Lacey's fire dispute

Before the City Council election in Lacey last year, the relationship between the council and Lacey Fire District No. 3 was already in tatters. After a bitter lawsuit, City Council members were looking into the possibility of parting with the fire district and starting their own fire department.

Four City Council seats were up for grabs, and with strong support from the firefighters union, including more than $13,000 in contributions, three of its candidates won. Talk of starting a new fire department dissipated.

Local 2903 put up almost 70 percent of the money for Ron Lawson's successful campaign over incumbent Graeme Sackrison, who had served several times as the council-appointed mayor.

"It is certainly telling that the local has never been involved in city politics until the city considered severing its ties with the adjacent fire district," said John Darby, former deputy mayor of Lacey. In his run for re-election to the City Council, Darby lost to Andy Ryder, who was heavily supported by the firefighters union.

The 2009 mayoral races in Tacoma and Vancouver also saw a lot of money pushed around. Contributions of $1,500 to $5,000 from police unions and the building industry were not uncommon.

Last year Kirkland and Issaquah enacted ordinances to limit campaign contributions.

Kirkland City Council candidates are limited to gifts of up to $800 per election cycle. Candidates in Issaquah's mayoral and council races can accept only $500 from individuals and groups.

Seattle has a long history of campaign reform. The city limits campaign donations to $700 per election cycle.

"We want to avoid the appearance of corruption," said Wayne Barnett, executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. "I don't think our candidates in Seattle have any problems raising money and running campaigns."

Lillian Tucker: 360-236-8266 or ltucker@seattletimes.com

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