The giant lead in campaign fundraising that incumbent 24th District state Rep. Steve Tharinger held after the primary election over opponent Thomas Greisamer has solidified, according to state Public Disclosure Commission records filed this week by the candidates.
As of Aug. 11, Tharinger, a Sequim Democrat, had raised $52,843 compared with the approximately $3,500 raised by Greisamer.
As of Monday, Tharinger had raised $78,643 and spent less than half that, or $31,993, compared with the $7,532 raised and $8,943 spent by the Republican Greisamer, a retired psychiatrist from Moclips who also has loaned his campaign $5,637.
Position 1 incumbent state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, a Sequim Democrat, is running unopposed but has still raised $76,366 — some of it dating to 2013 — and spent $54,864, with $41,000 going to the Committee to Elect Kevin Van De Wege Surplus Account.
His expenditures, dating back to 2013, include $3,267 for campaign-related RV miles reimbursements, tolls and park fees, and $3,675 for his campaign treasurer, Argo Strategies of Seattle, a political consulting firm.
Campaign contributions and expenditures can be reviewed at http://ift.tt/1Dme9uf.
Ballots have already been mailed out to voters Wednesday for the general election that ends Nov. 4.
So confident is Tharinger of winning a third two-year term for his Position 2 seat that $30,000 of his expenditures consist of a deposit of contributions his campaign made into the Tharinger Surplus Funds Account just two days after the Aug. 5 primary.
The funds were set aside “for future races and future expenses for being a legislator,” Tharinger, 65, said Wednesday.
In fact, Tharinger said his campaign just started running radio ads and deploying yard signs.
As of Monday, he had spent $867 for vehicle-related expenses and $360 on radio ads.
“We’re starting to have a presence,” he said, counting on incumbency.
“I’m pretty well-known around the district, and I would like to think I have quite a few positives.”
Greisamer, 73, contends that Tharinger is also well-known among the special-interest groups who donated to Tharinger’s campaign, as well as donors from outside the district.
“I don’t feel encumbered by special-interest groups, and I feel I can represent the voters of the district,” said Greisamer, whose 14 contributions include $100 from the Gun Owners Action League of Tacoma.
“Special-interest groups want to get their foot into the door of [Tharinger’s] office and are counting on his vote to further their agenda.”
Tharinger’s 173 contributions include $1,900 from the Service Employees International Union 1199NW of Renton, $1,900 from Southwestern Wine &Spirits of America Inc. and $950 from BNSF Railway Co. of Fort Worth, Texas.
“If you look at the diversity of donations, from labor to business to health care associations, it shows I am on a number of committees, and I have a pretty good record of working for pragmatic solutions,” Tharinger said.
He noted he already had the yard signs that his opponent, who has never run for elected political office, has had to buy in his largest single expenditure of $868.
Tharinger said his own spending is based on “looking at the funding my opponent has and sort of making sure that I am comparable with him.”
But Greisamer also has had to travel throughout the district, spending $1,129 on five hotel stays in Port Angeles, Sequim and Quilcene, and $568 for meals reflected in seven expenditure entries on his PDC forms.
“I’ve been up there for 20 events in Clallam and Jefferson counties,” he said.
“It’s a lot of expenses for travel and food.”
Greisamer believes he has a chance to defeat Tharinger and has been encouraged by voters’ reactions when he goes door-to-door with his campaign, even if he’s not a known quantity.
“When I say I’m running as a Republican, eight out of 10 times, a look of relief comes across their face,” he said.
“Nobody expected Harry Truman to win, nobody expected Rocky Balboa to win, and nobody expected David to win.
“That’s the stuff imaginations are made of, I guess.”
Tharinger donors
Below are contributors from Grays Harbor County who have donated $100 or more to Tharinger’s campaign:
-- $1,000: Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc. of Westport (in two contributions of $950 and $50)
-- $650: Mark Stensager of Aberdeen (in three contributions of $300, $225 and $125)
-- $500: Five Star Dealerships Inc. of Aberdeen
-- $350: Debbie Stensager of Aberdeen (in two contributions of $225 and $125)
-- $300: Grays Harbor Democratic Committee
Van De Wege
Below are contributors from Grays Harbor who have donated $100 or more to Van De Wege’s campaign:
-- $950: Rayonier Forest Resources LP of Hoquiam
-- $400: Five Star Dealerships
-- $250: Timothy Wandell of Aberdeen
Greisamer
Below are contributors from Grays Harbor who have donated $100 or more to Greisamer’s campaign:
-- $150: Kathleen Hodge of Moclips (in two contributions of $100 and $50)
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