Huge spending by anti-1433 interests a key missing piece of the story on minimum wage, workers rights, and this year’s elections.
A new analysis of political campaign spending in Washington reveals the same lobby groups and political funds that are opposing Initiative 1433 to raise the minimum wage have already invested a massive $1.8 million in State Legislative elections, much of it through “Independent Expenditure” funds with misleading names like “Community Progress”, “Good Government Leadership Council,” and even “Working Families” — which even in the world of politics is a startlingly cynical name for a group funded by minimum wage opponents.
It’s all spelled out with faces, names, and dollar amounts at a new website from Working Washington: RunForTheMoney.org.
As detailed on the site, anti-minimum wage groups and the political funds they back have already invested large amounts of money in more than a dozen key State Legislative races:
$369,056 backing Chad Magendanz in the 5th Legislative District (Issaquah, Carnation, Snoqualmie)
$363,580 backing Lynda Wilson in the 17th Legislative District (Vancouver, Clark County)
$214,579 backing Steve Litzow in the 41st District (Bellevue, Mercer Island)
$188,436 backing Teri Hickel in the 30th District (Federal Way, Auburn, Des Moines)
$127,446 more behind Linda Kochmar for the other House seat in the 30th District (Federal Way, Auburn, Des Moines)
$126,665 backing Jesse Young (26th Legislative District – Bremerton, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor)
$114,662 backing Janice Huxford (44th Legislative District – Mill Creek, Snohomish, Lake Stevens)
$92,930 backing Barbara Bailey (10th Legislative District – Stanwood, Whidbey Island, Camano Island)
$80,099 backing Steve O’Ban (28th Legislative District – Lakewood, Dupont, University Place)
$47,375 backing Paul Graves (5th Legislative District – Issaquah, Carnation, Snoqualmie)
$44,157 backing Jim Walsh (19th Legislative District – Aberdeen, Longview, Raymond)
- $38,927 backing Ramiro Valderrama (45th Legislative District – Kirkland, Duvall, Woodinville)
- And more…
The more you know about the interests funding a candidate the more you know what to expect from them. So voters across the state are asking: how high will the spending go by November 8th… and what returns might these groups be expecting on their investment?
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