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Washington's Mid-Term Elections Draw In More Than Nearly $33 Million So Far

Washington Public Disclosure Commission

Washington’s Aug. 5 primary is now less than a month away. It’s a mid-term election year with no statewide offices on the ballot. Even so, nearly $33 million have already been contributed to campaigns.

Individuals are the biggest category of donors. Among them is venture capitalist Nick Hanauer, who has written several five- and six-figure checks to the campaign to expand background checks for gun sales.

Other wealthy donors have contributed large sums to party-based legislative campaign committees. Overall, more than $11 million has been raised for Washington’s legislative campaigns. All Washington House members are up this year and control of the Washington Senate is in fierce play.

At this point, the 2014 contributions split evenly along party lines. Businesses are the second biggest contributor by dollar amount behind individuals. They are followed by political action committees and unions.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.