SEATTLE — With less than a month before ballots are mailed for the general election, the state Republican Party just can’t compete financially with the Democrats.
The state GOP had just $76,000 in its state accounts at the end of August — less than 2% of the $4.3 million stashed by the state Democratic Party, according to the latest filings to the Public Disclosure Commission.
The deficit further steepens the Republican Party’s already uphill climb to win contests for key legislative races and statewide offices, including ending a four-decade losing streak in gubernatorial races.
Republicans are lagging financially in the governor race too, as Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson has raised more than $11 million, compared with $5 million for Republican former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert.
In 2012, the last time Washington had a competitive open-seat race for governor, the state GOP had nearly $600,000 stashed in its campaign accounts at this point. In that race, Republican Rob McKenna, the sitting attorney general, outspent Jay Inslee, then a U.S. representative, by more than $1 million.
This year, Republican insiders say some donors have backed away after the state party’s at-times chaotic convention in April, in which the party officially backed longshot gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird over Reichert for the August primary.
“The party has suffered from its endorsement of Semi Bird. That was a rather large mistake,” said Cary Condotta, a former state legislator and Chelan County representative on the GOP’s state committee, who had predicted such fallout.
The state GOP has since more quietly endorsed Reichert for the general election, but Bird and some of his supporters have refused to unite behind him.
The rift here reflects national divisions among Republicans between the full-throated MAGA wing that backs former President Donald Trump and the more traditional wing that would like to move past the Trump era — especially in Democratic-leaning states like Washington.
“That division is showing up on the balance sheet … some donors are sitting on their wallets,” said Mathew Patrick Thomas, the chair of the King County Republicans.
Others point to the leadership of state Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. He’s the party chair, but he isn’t known as an enthusiastic or accomplished political fundraiser.
Walsh did not respond to an interview request.
The state GOP also has a federal campaign account, which reported more than $600,000 cash on hand at the end of July. That account helps cover some of the state party’s overhead expenses, but the fund is tied to federal contests and big chunks are extracted by national party organizations for use in swing states.
Some of the energy and money that previously might have aided the state GOP has instead gone to a slate of four initiatives on the November ballot.
The initiatives would repeal the state’s new capital gains tax on wealthy households and the state’s Climate Commitment Act, the massive cap-and-trade system that charges industries for pollution to fund clean energy and other projects. They’d also end a mandatory payroll tax funding a new long-term care benefit and roll back state regulations on natural gas.
Republican leaders have said they hope those initiatives might drive turnout and help GOP candidates, in addition to rebuking policies passed in recent years by Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic majorities in the state Legislature.
Let’s Go Washington, the main political committee backing the initiatives, has raised more than $5.6 million this year, including big checks from business executives and associations that have in the past been major GOP benefactors. That includes the Building Industry Association of Washington, which has given $500,000 to the initiative committee.
The Republican Party’s money disadvantage in Washington, while more pronounced this year, is not entirely new.
State Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, the former House Republican leader, said it’s been that way as long as he’s been involved in politics. “One of the great misconceptions people have about the parties is that Republicans are the rich party,” he said.
Unions and liberal Seattle-area millionaires have reliably plowed money into the state and national Democratic Party operations.
This year, the state Democratic Party’s top donors include the state teachers union, which has given $265,000, and the Puyallup Tribe, which has given $250,000.
As if Democrats didn’t have a big enough edge, the Democratic Governors Association has also poured money into the gubernatorial race.
The national group has donated more than $500,000 to the state Democratic Party and launched a $1 million TV ad campaign last week slashing Reichert over his votes in Congress for bills restricting abortions.
In 2012, the Republican Governors Association was a big spender in Washington, dropping more than $11 million in support of McKenna. So far this year, the RGA has not spent a dime for Reichert.
With no aid incoming from the state or national GOP, Reichert has looked to an old ally for potential help. He’s been exploring a Texas fundraiser with former President George W. Bush, who headlined a Seattle-area Reichert fundraiser in 2007.
Asked recently about the possible Bush event, Reichert laughed and said: “That could be true.”
Pressed on whether it was happening, Reichert said: “I don’t think we’re really ready to talk about that yet because we haven’t finalized all the details on whether or not we’re going to Texas and having a fundraiser. We’re still working with people. We have lots of possibilities and potentials for fundraisers.”
