Loser: State Sen. Jean Berkey (D-38, Everett)
Berkey has the dubious honor of heading into Tuesday’s primary with the most independent expenditure money being spent against her—$289,700. The money—mostly from the Washington State Labor Council’s Don’t Invest in More Excuses PAC and the Service Employees International Union—is a combo of anti-Berkey mailers and pro spots for her two opponents, progressive Democrat Nick Harper and conservative Republican Rodney Reiger.
Progressives are set on taking out Berkey, whom they consider a conservative Democrat for her vote supporting state worker furloughs and her opposition, as chair of the Senate’s financial institutions committee, to closing a $50 million loophole for big banks last session.
Footnote: The Public Disclosure Commission does not have a record of who is funding the pro-Reiger mailers. However, a committee called Cut Taxes PAC owes around $5,000 to consultant Moxie Media. Moxie is the same consultant that’s doing the anti-Berkey and pro-Harper IEs for a committee called Stand Up for Citizens—which is being funded by DIME PAC and SEIU.
It’d be pretty funny if big labor was funding a right wing candidate like Reiger in a squeeze play against Berkey. WSLC told PubliCola only that they “weren’t aware” of Cut Taxes PAC and referred us to Moxie. Moxie has not returned several calls.
The treasurer for Cut Taxes PAC and the committee chair both work with Moxie. We have called them as well, but we have not heard back.
Extra footnote: Of course, if Berkey wins handily tomorrow night, she’ll be a bit of a winner. As will Bank of America.
By the way, the candidate with the second most IE money spent against them is State Supremer Court Justice Jim Johnson, an arch-conservative. SEIU, DIME PAC, and the teachers union are funding a group called Impartial Johnson (also working with Moxie Media) and have spent $273,000 to oust Johnson.
Today’s Winner: The GOP
GOP Congressional candidates have a spring in their step—or at least in their numbers. Today, Rasmussen Reports released a poll indicating that Republicans are now twelve points ahead of Democrats on a generic congressional ballot, 48-36. Rasmussen called the results “the biggest lead the GOP has held in over a decade of Rasmussen Reports surveying.”
For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a five-point swing in favor of the Republicans from just last week, when the GOP led Democrats 46-39.
