A Pierce County executive’s race already flush with cash is getting a new infusion from one of the county’s biggest political players.

In recent weeks the Master Builders Association of Pierce County and its political allies have spent nearly $49,000 to promote Pat McCarthy’s campaign for county executive.

That’s a big assist for McCarthy, whose spending lags behind two of her three rivals for executive. And there likely is more to come: The builders association has tens of thousands of dollars more to spend on McCarthy and other candidates.

Building association officials and McCarthy say the spending has been done without the candidate’s knowledge or cooperation, in compliance with state law. But one of McCarthy’s rivals – fellow Democrat Calvin Goings – is crying foul.

In a statement this week, Goings’ campaign called McCarthy the “hand-picked candidate” of the building industry and said the industry is “clearly trying to buy the Pierce County Executive’s Office.”

Goings also tried to link McCarthy to the Building Industry Association of Washington – a state industry group that has come under fire for its work on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi.

The local builders group says Goings’ accusations are false. And while he’s critical of the group now, association officials say Goings sought the MBA’s endorsement, which McCarthy is now benefiting from.

McCarthy said Goings’ claims are an attempt to divert attention from what she called his distorted résumé.

“This is a pack of lies,” McCarthy said of Goings’ accusations. “It’s unfortunate that he’s resorted to this kind of deceit.”

The builders association spending and Goings’ attack underscores the group’s significant role in Pierce County politics.

The Master Builders Association represents about 1,050 Pierce County builders and other members employing more than 10,000 people. The group has weighed in on some of the most contentious issues in county government, from growth management and land-use issues to building permit backlogs.

MBA government affairs director Tiffany Speir said the group focuses on county government because that’s where land-use and other decisions affecting members are made. She said environmental and neighborhood groups do the same.

“What we’re doing is participating in the public process, as anyone interested in these topics can do,” she said.

Of course, not everyone can muster tens of thousands of dollars to spend on political campaigns. That’s what makes the association’s endorsement so valuable.

CATCHING UP TO RIVALS

McCarthy, now in her second term as county auditor, won the group’s endorsement in June. MBA leaders cited her experience, accomplishments and administrative abilities in announcing the endorsement.

Now the group is backing that endorsement with substantial resources. State Public Disclosure Commission records show the MBA and other contributors have put nearly $111,000 into a new campaign committee called Better Pierce County.

MBA executive vice president Mike Crowley said Better Pierce County will spend money on other candidates for county office, though he wouldn’t disclose which ones. To date, McCarthy is the only beneficiary.

The group’s spending on McCarthy brings total spending for her campaign in line with that of her rivals.

State records show Republican Shawn Bunney had spent about $139,000 on his executive campaign through August, according to the latest figures available. Goings had spent about $109,000 through August, while independent candidate Mike Lonergan – running under the banner of the Executive Excellence Party that he formed – had spent about $22,000.

McCarthy, a Democrat, had spent about $66,000 through August. The $48,536 spent on her behalf by the builders group brings McCarthy’s total campaign spending to about $115,000, ahead of Goings and not far off Bunney’s pace.

The builders association paid $32,024 to Comcast for cable ads to be aired in Tacoma and East Pierce County. It also spent $8,700 for ads on the Web sites of KING-5 and The News Tribune. The remainder is for advertising consultants.

‘THE PUBLIC IS READY FOR CHANGE’

The MBA’s television ad highlights McCarthy’s management experience and qualifications. It doesn’t mention the other executive candidates.

Nonetheless, Goings’ campaign called the builders’ campaign an effort “to defeat Calvin Goings.”

Goings also linked the campaign to the Building Industry Association of Washington, a major supporter of Rossi, the Republican candidate for governor. Critics, including two former state Supreme Court justices, have accused the BIAW of campaign finance law violations.

“The BIAW has had a stranglehold on Pierce County government for too long,” Goings said. “The public is ready for change.”

MBA officials say it’s misleading to link the political activities of the county builders association with those of the BIAW.

Speir acknowledged that the MBA and the BIAW are affiliates of the National Association of Homebuilders. She said a portion of MBA members’ dues goes to the BIAW.

Goings said the MBA is a chapter of the BIAW, but Spier said that’s not true.

She said the MBA’s operations and local political work are independent of the BIAW. Crowley added that the state organization might not even know who the MBA has endorsed for Pierce County executive.

State records show no BIAW contributions to McCarthy’s campaign. And McCarthy said the BIAW hasn’t endorsed her.

McCarthy said the BIAW is no fan of her work. The state group sued her county Auditor’s Office last year over access to public records it claimed the office improperly destroyed. It lost the lawsuit.

“To align me with the BIAW is wrong,” McCarthy said.

“This is about honesty,” she added. “This is exactly the kind of political stuff we don’t need in Pierce County government.”

GOINGS SOUGHT MBA ENDORSEMENT

Early in his executive campaign, Goings unveiled a series of initiatives that seemed designed to appeal to builders. He pledged an 18-month moratorium on new development regulations and vowed to fire county department heads in an effort to address permit backlogs.

Like the other three candidates, Goings sought and interviewed for the MBA’s endorsement.

MBA President Duke York said the group has endorsed Goings, a county councilman from Puyallup, in previous campaigns. York also said Goings called him regularly for months seeking the endorsement for executive.

When asked about seeking the MBA’s endorsement, Goings at first told The News Tribune he didn’t know what York was talking about. When asked again later, Goings declined to answer yes or no on whether he pursued the endorsement. Instead, he said he has sought a broad spectrum of support.

“This isn’t about an endorsement,” Goings said. “It’s about an unseemly amount of money from one group that is trying to buy the county Executive’s Office.”

David Wickert: 253-274-7341

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