Democrats upgrade effort in 5th District

OLYMPIA — Democrat Peter Goldmark got a boost Friday in his bid to unseat Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris in the 5th Congressional District when the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added him to its "Red to Blue" fundraising program.

It is the clearest indication that Democrats believe they have a shot at winning in the Republican-dominated district, which covers most of Eastern Washington.

Republicans have held the seat since 1995. McMorris won there with 60 percent of the vote two years ago, despite being outspent by her opponent.

But there are numerous signs that Goldmark, a rancher from Okanogan, has been gaining momentum.

"It's a closer race than I first imagined," McMorris told Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, last week during a phone conversation that was overheard by a Spokane reporter.

Craig told McMorris things look bad for Republicans nationwide. "The new numbers are just devastating," he said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee recently sent out a "Final Push List" that included McMorris as one of the candidates "most in need" of last-minute support from donors. Meanwhile, the national Republican committee and the national Democratic committee have both begun airing television ads in the race.

On Friday, Goldmark was one of 17 Democrats nationwide added to the national Democratic committee's "Red to Blue" program, which already featured 44 Democratic challengers. The program helps steer attention and campaign donations toward races in which the national party thinks it has a chance of capturing Republican-held seats.

Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for the national Democratic committee, said making it onto the list involves a variety of factors, including the candidate's ability to raise money and the latest polls.

Bedingfield declined to say whether the committee had any recent polling data on the McMorris-Goldmark race. And the Goldmark campaign said it hasn't seen any new numbers.

"But the national party doesn't target a race whimsically," Goldmark campaign manager Jeremiah Levine said in a written statement.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or rthomas@seattletimes.com