Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Extra Fizz: Josh is Wrong

2010 Election, Politics, That Washington   August 13, 2010 at 1:26 pm Erica C. Barnett

Josh wrote Morning Fizz this morning. While we discussed (and I agree with) most of his predictions, there’s one wild card in there that’s just dead wrong: He predicted that David Castillo, one of two Republicans in the 3rd U.S. Congressional District race, will go through next week’s primary, while the “anointed GOP candidate,” Jaime Herrera, won’t.

Josh tells me his argument is that Castillo has more individual donations (if less money) than Herrera, indicating grassroots support, and has more major endorsements than Herrera, including The Seattle Times.

Well, I’m not sure how many people in the 3rd Congressional District (Olympia, Longview, Vancouver) read the Seattle Times, but I’m betting it’s fewer than read the big newspaper in the district, the Vancouver Columbian, which called Herrera “confident, informed, prepared and enthusiastic” in its dual endorsement of Herrera and Castillo.

Both candidates have impressive endorsements, but Herrera edges out her opponent in the caliber of her organizational (three county GOP groups, plus the realtors, the Farm Bureau, the builders’ lobby), and individual endorsements (Slade Gorton, Sam Reed, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers).

She also has the edge in fundraising. As of July 28, Herrera had brought in $410,627, with $113,838 on hand. Castillo had raised $257,815, with just $47,915 on hand. And while Castillo definitely did have more individual contributions than Herrera when Josh  last checked in, that’s no longer true: Herrera has 193 contributions to Castillo’s 174. And although Herrera’s campaign said they couldn’t release any recent polling data, a poll back in June showed her leading Castillo comfortably, 27 to 8 percent (the poll included Democrats as well as a third Republican, who also polled at 8 percent.)

Come watch me make fun of Josh’s crazy prediction at our primary night party: Next Tuesday, August 17, at the Five Point, starting at 6 pm.




  • Federal Employee

    Please post a larger picture of Herrera. Thank you.

    (Also, in terms of pure relevant-ness, Castillo's McKenna, DeBolt, and Benton endorsements trample Herrera's list of old-timers.)

  • Not Impressed with Herrera

    Odd that Erica or anyone else could view the empty suit from Ridgefield as superior in way to David Castillo.

    No military experience.

    No private sector experience.

    No executive experience.

    Inferior education compared to Castillo.

    Fewer meaningful endorsements.

    And a single endorsement from the hometown paper while every other daily that did endorse… endorsed Castillo.

    And, what's worse, if it weren't for Cathy McMorris, no one ever would have heard of Herrera, given her do-nothing tenure in the state House, her support of SEIU legislation and her joining with the democrats to strip out the last $229 million from this state's emergency fund.

    If elected, Herrera will vote the same as McMorris 100% of the time. In short, her election, as horrific an outcome that can be contemplated, would result in Spokane gaining a second member of Congress while SW Washington would have no representation at all.

  • Fizzure

    Check the latest FEC #s. Castillo's camp has been running on fumes for weeks. A big chunk of what he has in the bank can only be spent on the General. And most of the rest is offset by debt. If he does make it through, he'll be starting in a deep financial hole against Heck.