LD 10 candidates spent heavily to win votes

How much would you spend to win a seat in the Washington state Senate? To continue representing Legislative District 10, incumbent Sen. Ron Muzzall (R-Oak Harbor) spent $462,878 ahead of the Aug. 6 primary. That is $18.72 for each of the 24,724 votes he received. That won him 48.2% of the vote. He may spend that much more trying to win reelection in November.

His opponent, Janet St. Clair, an Island County commissioner, came in second, both in votes and campaign spending. In gaining 23,391 votes, 45.6%, she spent $164,123, $7.02 for each vote.

Coming in a distant third in votes, but first by a mile in his cost expenditures, was Denny Sandberg. In spending $142 to win 3,072 votes, 6%, he invested a nickel for each vote he received. The Camano Island resident is a former small business owner and U.S. Navy veteran.

Republican Carrie Kennedy fared much better than Sandberg, coming in second in the LD 10 Pos. 1 primary. Her $1,338 in campaign expenses helped her get 13,374 votes, 26.4%. The Island County Navy veteran spent ten cents per vote to handily outpace Arlington City Councilmember Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam, who finished a distant third with 10,700 votes, 21.1%. She invested $42,778, or $4 per vote.

Rep. Clyde Shavers (D-Oak Harbor) won an absolute majority of the vote, 52.3% in seeking reelection. He spent $86,829, $3.28 per vote to win 26,484 votes.

Rep. Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) won handily in his reelection bid. The two term Pos. 2 representative spent $81,500, $2.89 per vote, to gain 28,186 votes, 55.5%. Republican Gary Wray, of Island County, spent $4,922, or $0.22 per vote, to earn 22,542 votes, 44.4%. They are on the November ballot.

The candidates raised, lent themselves funds and went into debt. See table with story.

All funding data are from the state Public Disclosure ­Commission.

Contributions and expenditures are to each candidate's campaign. This analysis does not include funds raised or spent independently by outside sources. For Muzzall, $331,494 more was spent by organizations supporting him, while supporters of St. Clair spent $114,606 to defeat Muzzall. Outside groups spent another $48,160 to promote St. Clair. No independent money against her has been reported to the PDC.

State news sources report that Muzzall's campaign has the highest funding of any state legislative candidate.

Washington state Senators have an annual salary of $60,191.

Washington state Representatives have an annual salary of $61,997.