Big-money campaign race breeds bigger rumors

By Ralph Thomas
Seattle Times Olympia bureau

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The claim has kicked off a war of words between the two candidates. Rossi calls the figure a fabrication. Gregoire acknowledges she has no proof but says Republicans have poured huge amounts into recent gubernatorial races.

But beneath the ample rhetoric lies ampler fund raising. Even if the $9 million never materializes, this year's governor's race is on pace to shatter fund-raising records.

With the general election five months away, the three major candidates — Rossi, Gregoire and King County Executive Ron Sims — have raised more than $5.3 million. They will easily surpass the $6.6 million raised by gubernatorial candidates in 2000 and appear likely to top the record $8.8 million raised in 1996, when eight big-name candidates were vying for an open seat.

Gregoire and Rossi are each on pace to top the $3.8 million record for a Washington gubernatorial campaign that Gov. Gary Locke set in 2000.

At last weekend's state Democratic Party convention, Gregoire said she's bracing for a huge infusion of cash for Rossi from the national GOP.

"They're going to come at us with $9 million," she said, urging more than 1,500 delegates to "show them Washington state will not be bought."

Gregoire's campaign staff members could not verify her claim, which they say they heard from a reporter. Republicans, meanwhile, scoffed at the $9 million figure, calling it a fund-raising ploy by Gregoire.

"That's an outrageous amount of money," Rossi said. "I think it's Christine fabricating things to excite her side to some sort of action."

Morton Brilliant, Gregoire's campaign spokesman, said it's no surprise the Republicans are denying the $9 million rumor.

"I would have been stunned if they had said, 'Yep, you found us out; we're going to buy this election,' " Brilliant said.
 
State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance acknowledged the Washington governor's race is a top priority for national party organizations.

"Dino is going to get a lot of help," Vance said, but he laughed at Gregoire's $9 million claim.

Indeed, Rossi was in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with national party officials. He met Tuesday with Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee.

"I said, 'Well, I'm here for my $9 million,' " Rossi said yesterday in a telephone interview. "He kind of looked at me like I was nuts."

The national Republican Governors Association (RGA) aims to raise a lot of money for Rossi. He will be the featured guest next month at a fund-raising dinner the RGA is planning in Seattle next month to coincide with the National Governors Association annual convention. Tickets range from $5,000 to $25,000.

RGA spokesman Harvey Valentine said Rossi's race is one of 11 the group will be targeting this year. He said the group has not made a specific commitment to Rossi but noted the group is hoping to spread $15 million among all 11 campaigns.

"I seriously doubt any outside group will be putting $9 million into the (Washington) race," Valentine said.

Officials at the Republican National Committee and Bush's presidential campaign also denied making any such commitments to Rossi.

"I would love to, but we have other races," Gillespie said.

State Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said he didn't know where the $9 million figure came from. But he said it's conceivable Rossi will get that kind of support from the national party, either directly or through so-called "issue ads."

"I don't think it's an outrageous number," Berendt said.

He said the national Democratic Party spent $15 million in Washington on all candidates during the 2000 election, when the White House, the governor's mansion and a U.S. Senate seat were up for grabs.

In an interview after her speech at the Democratic convention, Gregoire could not give specifics to back up the $9 million claim. But she pointed out that national Republican groups raised huge amounts of money for several GOP gubernatorial candidates in 2002.

"So I have no reason to believe it's not real," Gregoire said.

In Washington, Democratic nominees for governor typically raise more money than their GOP counterparts. In four of the last six governor's races — dating back to 1980 — the Democrat raised more than the Republican.

So far this year, Gregoire and Rossi are running neck and neck in the race for campaign cash. Each has raised nearly $2.2 million. Sims, who is competing with Gregoire for the Democratic nomination, has raised about $956,000.

Gregoire had to put her fund raising on hold for most of the spring, because state law bars elected officials from collecting campaign donations from 30 days before until 30 days after each legislative session.

But Gregoire made up lost ground last month, taking in more than $450,000, compared with $310,000 for Rossi. Sims, meanwhile, fell further behind by collecting $91,000. The candidates will report their fund raising today to the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882