Why has this statewide association spent $20,000 on an Olympia City Council race?

Washington Realtors, a statewide housing association located near downtown Olympia, has spent $20,000 on an Olympia City Council race, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data, and that figure has caught the attention of incumbent Clark Gilman, who seeks a third term.

The money, identified as an independent expenditure, has been spent on behalf of his opponent, Wendy Carlson, who is challenging him for his Position 4 seat on the council.

Not only has the amount caught Gilman’s attention, but also his concerns, which he shared on his campaign Facebook page.

“The Washington Realtors are trying to buy this election,” he said in a mid-October post. “Last week they hired a Chicago ad agency to run thousands of dollars of ads against me.”

The independent expenditure, which the PDC defines as an “expenditure, usually for advertising, that supports or opposes a candidate or ballot measure made independently of the campaign and without coordination,” shows roughly $20,000 spent by the Washington Realtors political action committee on two out-of-state companies that have produced direct mailers, a website and digital advertising.

The two companies are based in Illinois and Pennsylvania, the PDC data show.

Gilman acknowledged there’s nothing illegal or inappropriate about the expenditure, but he did wonder what motivates a statewide agency to weigh in and spend that much on a local race, calling it “unusual.”

Is it unusual? No other Olympia candidate in council contested races — Robert Vanderpool, Justin Stang, Paul Berendt and Caleb Geiger — shows an independent expenditure anywhere near the $20,000 figure.

Gilman said he felt the amount was worth flagging.

“What do they want to have happen differently here in Olympia?” said Gilman about the association’s influence.

Carlson, Realtors respond

Is the association trying to buy the election?

Candidate Carlson called his comments nothing more than sensationalism and a scare tactic. She acknowledged the expenditure, but said that money is being used to support her, not against him.

“I have to pay attention to my own campaign and he should worry about what he has control of in his campaign,” she said.

Carlson said she has been knocking on doors and listening to community concerns about the unhoused, the city’s rental registry and seniors in danger of losing their homes.

“It’s really important to be in front of the constituents and I have done that,” Carlson said. “He needs to worry about the (city’s) budget.”

Washington Realtors, which is at 504 14th Ave. SE. near the Capitol Campus, also responded to a query from The Olympian.

“Our organization endorses candidates whose values and policy priorities align with our core principles,” said Whitney Chiang by email.

“In the context of the Olympia City Council race, our local association (Thurston County Realtors) recommended supporting Wendy Carlson due to her commitment to policies that enhance housing options and benefit the community. Our endorsement underscores our dedication to addressing community needs.”

The Thurston County Realtors Association endorsed Carlson, said President Mark Kitabayashi.

It was an easy decision for them because although they reached out to interview both candidates, they only heard from her, he said. The interview committee made a recommendation to the board of directors and the board endorsed Carlson.

“Who is going to be supportive of our needs and wants? And she came out ahead,” said Kitabayashi, adding that she came across as pro-business.

“We don’t have a bad relationship with Gilman, but when it came to the endorsement, she came out ahead,” he said.

What the Realtors Association didn’t make clear were the specific housing policies that they support in Carlson but not Gilman.

Gilman reiterated this week that he will continue to advocate for tenant protections and landlords providing safe and healthy housing.

Carlson shared her position on housing for a recent story in The Olympian.

“Olympia faces a housing shortage at every level: affordable, workforce, and market-rate,” she wrote. “We need a balanced approach that increases supply while protecting neighborhood character. This means incentivizing infill and mixed-use projects downtown, supporting accessory dwelling units, and streamlining permitting so builders can move quickly without sacrificing quality.”