Progressive newcomer Alexis Mercedes Rinck completely bodied Council appointee Tanya Woo within the August major, scoring a cool 50.2% to Woo’s 38.4%. Rinck has each purpose to measure drapes for the brand new workplace in Metropolis Corridor she’s going to most likely transfer into, and it appears just like the deep-pocketed exterior spenders who acquired Woo’s buddies elected final yr are counting her out too. Proportionally, Woo’s Unbiased Expenditure (IE) has spent 90% much less this yr than an analogous IE did in her preliminary council bid.
Woo’s marketing campaign has raised $450,000 from about 1,000 donors, averaging roughly $430 per donation. Her contributors embrace the true property trade, CEOs, legal professionals, retirees, and among the conservative council colleagues who appointed her similar to Council Members Bob Kettle and Maritza Rivera.
However sometimes, massive IEs spend an ungodly sum of money in the previous couple of weeks of a race on mailers, TV adverts, and different methods to get their most popular candidate’s title and face in entrance of voters earlier than the election. Final yr, IEs backed by enterprise or labor or each spent $1.6 million throughout the seven Metropolis Council elections. The candidate with probably the most exterior spending by means of IEs gained in each race apart from Woo’s failed bid for District Two. Between her marketing campaign and IEs, she outspent her opponent, incumbent Tammy Morales, two to at least one.
However IEs don’t appear as inquisitive about burying progressive competitors with their money this time round.
Lots of the identical donors who backed Woo in 2023, funded the victorious conservative slate that appointed her, and the earlier three mayors. They collectively contributed greater than $130,000 to Woo by means of the Pals of Seattle. This consists of the Industrial Actual Property Improvement Affiliation, Seattle Hospitality for Progress PAC, R.C. Hedreen Firm, Goodman Actual Property, and HomeStreet Financial institution.
However they don’t appear to be making an attempt as exhausting this go spherical.
A 2023 IE, Pals of SE Seattle, spent $168,000 on her bid for the District 2 seat the place she needed to win over a majority of the 67,000 registered voters. That’s an funding of $2.50 a voter. Now, in 2024, for her citywide marketing campaign, she’s making an attempt to seize nearly all of 485,000 voters. A $130,000 funding from the present IE shakes out to a couple of quarter spent per voter. Meaning IEs, who efficiently purchased each seat apart from Woo’s final cycle, have spent 90% much less on Woo than they did in her final election the place she misplaced regardless of spending twice as a lot as her opponent.
This marks a shift in habits from company donors when in comparison with the final time Seattle voted on citywide council seats in 2021. An IE known as Change Seattle pooled $414,000 for Council President Sara Nelson’s bid for a citywide seat or about 3 times as a lot as they’re spending on Woo.
What does any of this imply? Effectively, it may imply these conservative donors are stretched skinny funding the terrible, Republican-backed Let’s Go Washington Initiatives, the Republican candidate for governor, or possibly even President Donald Trump’s third shot on the White Home. Or, it may imply these company donors are saving as much as assist their darlings, Nelson, Metropolis Legal professional Ann Davison, and Mayor Bruce Harrell, once they go up for re-election subsequent yr.
Both approach, progressives aren’t actually beating conservatives on the fundraising recreation. Rinck’s marketing campaign has raised $445,000 from virtually 1,700 donors. That’s a median donation of about $264. Her contributors embrace unions, labor organizers, each progressive politico you may consider, and politicians together with King County Govt Dow Constantine, Woo’s previous foe Morales, and lots of state lawmakers representing Seattle.
Rinck additionally discovered assist in a brand new IE, Progressive Folks Energy (P3), that spent greater than $190,000 this cycle. P3’s donors embrace a number of unions, a number of failed left-lane candidates, and King County Democrats Chair Carrie Barnes who gave greater than $42,000 herself. Didn’t know you had it like that, Barnes!
However as P3 Board Chair Ry Armstrong stated at a fundraiser final month, progressives don’t want as a lot cash to win — their concepts are simply higher. A current ballot by the Northwest Progressive Institute discovered solely 28% of respondents voted or will vote for Woo, whereas 52% voted or will vote for Rinck.
Anxious about Tuesday? This is one thing to stay up for through @nwprogressive! pic.twitter.com/LQrEh7GSfV
— Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) November 3, 2024
