Super PACs fuel spending surge: More money spent against Reichert than Ferguson in WA governor’s race
Oct 16, 2024, 3:55 PM | Updated: Oct 23, 2024, 12:09 pm
Democrat Bob Ferguson (left) has a commanding lead over Republican Dave Reichert in WA governor's race. (AP file photos)
(AP file photos)
The financial backing from third-party organizations, including Super Political Action Committees (PACs), is becoming a substantial advantage for Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson in his race for governor.
According to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, opponents of Republican Dave Reichert have spent 37 times more than those opposing Ferguson.
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The difference is stark. So far, $7,083,931.50 has been spent to defeat Reichert, all of which comes from a single organization: Evergreen Values, a Super PAC affiliated with the Democratic Governor’s Association.
In contrast, only $171,583.61 has been spent to oppose Ferguson. This comes from two PACs: Bob for Bob (based in Puyallup), which reported $92,749.76, and Washington 24 (based in Snohomish), which reported $78,833.85.
Most of the funds used to oppose either candidate have gone toward broadcast advertising. Interestingly, the Republican Governor’s Association has not yet spent any money in an effort to defeat Ferguson, according to the commission.
These are all Super PACs, which face no contribution limits like traditional PACs. While Super PACs cannot donate directly to candidates or coordinate with their campaigns, they can spend unlimited amounts on independent expenditures.
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Despite the considerable spending gap on negative ads targeting Reichert, there’s no guarantee this will lead to a victory for Ferguson.
For perspective, in the 2012 governor’s race, $8,984,693.13 was spent in independent expenditures against Republican and then-Attorney Rob McKenna, compared to $9,303,879.56 against then-Democrat Congressman Jay Inslee.
Despite this, Inslee won by a narrow margin of 94,557 votes with 51.4% to McKenna’s 48.3%.
Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.
