See who’s funding the Olympia City Council campaigns

There’s a large fundraising disparity among the various Olympia City Council races, with Position 4 challenger Max Brown raising more than $33,000 and Position 7 candidates Jim Cooper and Danny Marsh raising less than $5,000.

The remaining candidates had all raised between $16,000 and $26,000 in in-kind and cash contributions as of Sept. 20, according to Public Disclosure Commission filings.

But what may be more telling in the individual races is who has contributed to the campaigns.

Take the Position 7 race, for example. Brown’s list of contributors includes a litany of former Washington elected officials. He received small contributions from former Gov. Chris Gregoire, former Congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld, former state Senator Ken Jacobsen and former Secretary of State Ralph Munro.

He also has a few sizable contributions from the business community: a $500 contributions from Capital City Honda, and another from the Thurston County Realtors Association. Brenner and Watts, an Olympia real estate agency, gave $700.

His opponent, appointee Clark Gilman, has raised about $21,000 and received considerable financial support from labor groups. The WFSE Local 443, which represents state employees, and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters each gave $1,000.

The UFCW Local 365, representing Washington public employees, the Washington Teamsters Legislative League, and the Thurston-Mason-Lewis Central Labor Council each contributed $500.

Gilman also received small contributions from elected officials — but his come from a more local set. Olympia City Councilman Jim Cooper, former Thurston County Commissioner and state legislator Sandra Romero, state Rep. Beth Doglio, and Olympia Port Commissioner E.J. Zita.

State Rep. Laurie Dolan contributed to both Gilman’s and Brown’s campaigns.

Position 6 candidate Renata Rollins outpaces incumbent Jeannine Roe’s fundraising by about $7,000 — with Rollins receiving about $25,600 so far, and Roe receiving $18,300.

Both candidates’ largest contributors are their parents. Martin and Genn Rollins each contributed $2,000 to Renata Rollins’ campaign, and Charles Roe gave $2,000 to Jeannine Roe’s campaign.

A large amount of Roe’s support comes from public employees, with the Olympia Firefighters giving $1,500 to her campaign, and the Washington State Council of County and City Employees giving $500.

Rollins, too, garnered support from public employees, with $2,000 in contributions from WFSE Local 443. For Rollins’ campaign, $976.84 came from the Thurston Environmental Voters political action committee.

Both candidates have a few notable names contributing money. Rollins received funds from former Olympia Mayor Stephen Buxbaum, as well as Gilman, Zita and Daryl Rodrigues, Thurston County’s former Director of Public Defense.

Roe’s list includes state Sen. Sam Hunt, former state Sen. Karen Fraser, and current Olympia Mayor Pro-tempore Nathaniel Jones.

Again, Dolan contributed to both candidates.

In the Position 5 race to fill retiring Councilwoman Julie Hankins’ seat, candidate Lisa Parshley has received more than $21,300, more than her opponent Allen Miller, who has raised about $16,900.

Miller’s largest contributions are in-kind contributions from Jeff and Will Taylor, of the Water Street Cafe. Each contributed $600. A $500 in-kind contribution from musician Scott Cossu also is listed.

Parshley also received significant in-kind contributions — two $750 contributions and another of nearly $1,000. However, her largest contributions come from a labor group and a political action committee: the WFSE 443, representing state employees, contributed $2,000, and the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association PAC contributed $1,000. Parshley is a veterinarian.

Among Miller’s smaller contributors are two former Secretaries of State: Sam Reed and Ralph Munro. Port Commissioner Bill McGregor and former Olympia Mayor Bob Jacobs also contributed.

Parshley’s financial supporters include Jones, Cooper, Zita, Doglio, Rodrigues, Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet, Lacey City Council candidate Carolyn Cox, and Tumwater City Council candidate Michael Althauser.

Neither candidate for the Position 7 race — neither Cooper nor Marsh — has filed campaign contributions with the Public Disclosure Commission, which means they intend to spend less than $5,000.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 6:03 AM with the headline "See who’s funding the Olympia City Council campaigns."