4 candidates continue to pace field in fundraising for Seattle mayoral race
Jun 7, 2021, 2:01 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2021, 7:50 am
The four leading fundraising candidates for Seattle mayor. (Campaign courtesy photos)
(Campaign courtesy photos)
While 15 total candidates are registered to run for Seattle mayor in 2021, four have consistently led the way in fundraising efforts, with one having already reached the limit for available funds during the primaries.
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Homelessness advocate Colleen Echohawk continues to lead all candidates, having brought in nearly $400,000 from over 5,600 contributors. Echohawk has consistently paced the field in fundraising since the start of her mayoral campaign. She’s also the first and only candidate to approach the $400,000 limit for mayoral candidates in the primaries, although she is still allowed to petition the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission to waive that cap. Candidates are permitted to spend a combined total of $800,000 between the primary and general elections.
Prominent contributors to Echohawk’s campaign include former Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Public Defender Association Director Lisa Daugaard, and Seattle School Board Director Zachary DeWolf.
Trailing close behind Echohawk is Andrew Grant Houston, who had previously served as the interim policy manager for Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. As of June 6, Houston has raised over $320,700 across almost 4,500 contributors, as he, too, has continued to maintain early fundraising momentum. He’s also done so without the aid of major donors, but has been formally endorsed by the University of Washington’s Young Democrats and the Washington Stonewall Democrats, an LGBTQ-focused caucus that functions as part of the Washington State Democrats Central Committee.
Occupying the third spot in total fundraising is Council President Lorena Gonzalez, having brought in nearly $277,000 across 4,081 contributors. Among the major contributors to Gonzalez’s campaign are Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda, Lisa Herbold, and Tammy Morales, as well as state Sen. Rebecca Saldana and former mayoral candidate Cary Moon.
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Former Council President Bruce Harrell has raised the fourth most money of any mayoral candidate so far, having received over $264,000 in contributions from 2,016 donors. Prominent contributors to Harrell’s campaign include former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, former King County Sheriff John Urquhart, real estate billionaire Martin Selig, and SoDo Business Improvement Area Executive Director Erin Goodman.
Harrell is the only candidate to also have an independent political action committee raising money on their behalf. As of May 28, the “Bruce Harrell for Seattle’s Future” PAC has raised over $24,000, including four donations of $5,000 each, and another three of $1,000 each. PACs are permitted to independently solicit donations on behalf of Seattle candidates provided the candidate is not directly involved.
Trailing behind the top four in fundraising are former state Rep. Jessyn Farrell ($103,811), economic developer Lance Randall ($46,109), and current Deputy Mayor Casey Sixkiller ($33,225).
