Crowded 10th Congressional District race attracts big-name endorsements, fundraising
Three Democratic women have emerged as top fundraisers ahead of the Aug. 4 primary among the crowded field of candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Denny Heck’s open congressional seat.
There are 19 people who filed in the 10th Congressional District race, including well-known candidates who have been getting big-name endorsements from former presidential candidates and others.
Two candidates progress from the Aug. 4 primary to the general election in November, and those candidates can be from the same party. Right now, the race for money and endorsements is neck and neck between state Rep. Beth Doglio of Olympia, 55; former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, 57; and former state Rep. Kristine Reeves of Federal Way, 39.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has endorsed Doglio. Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has endorsed former Strickland, 57.
Reeves, 39, has endorsements from U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith of Washington and Pete Aguilar of California.
Doglio has raised $571,651, and Strickland has brought in $565,474, according to recent data from the Federal Election Commission. Reeves has raised $539,992.
The next three highest fundraisers are Joshua Collins, who is a socialist running as a Democrat; former Denny Heck district director Phil Gardner; and Republican Jackson Maynard, who is an Olympia attorney.
The district includes most of Thurston and Pierce counties and part of Mason County. Heck decided not to seek re-election for the seat, and is now running to be lieutenant governor.
Reeves and Strickland would each be the first African American sent to Congress from Washington state, if elected, and Strickland would be the country’s first Korean-American congresswoman. Doglio and Gardner could each be the state’s first openly LGBTQ member of Congress.
Reeves and Strickland live just outside the district boundaries. Both say they have longtime ties to the district, and plan to move into it. Strickland has said she’s purchased a home, and is in the process of moving. Reeves says she has a Realtor.
The candidates
Sanders said in a statement endorsing Doglio: “Beth Doglio helped lead the passage of legislation in Washington State to provide more resources to address homelessness and to empower workers. She is no stranger to taking on powerful corporations such as Amazon. We need her leadership on progressive issues in Congress.”
Some of her other endorsements are from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) and more than 130 other current and former elected officials, as well as the Nisqually Tribe, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Washington State Labor Council, and the League of Conservation Voters.
Asked about her fundraising lead, Doglio said: “I think it just shows the breadth and depth of my support in the community.”
Doglio said in a press release earlier this month: “These strong fundraising numbers show the energy and excitement around the progressive policies and community values our campaign is fighting for. With an average contribution of just $47, we raised this sum through small dollar donations and grassroots support from community members and working people, without the help of corporate PACs or fossil fuel donors. Our supporters recognize the stakes are high...”
Strickland is endorsed by former Washington state governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire, the Collective PAC, seven members of Congress, and more than two dozen current and former mayors, among others.
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang said in a statement endorsing Strickland: “Marilyn was the popular two-term Mayor of Tacoma who ran on education and jobs and delivered.”
Strickland said in a statement that she’s “thrilled to have the support of so many grass-roots donors whose contributions are helping to get our message out and reach the voters we will need to win this primary.
“As the daughter of a Korean immigrant mother and African-American father who served in the military for 20+ years, I know the importance of working hard, fighting for the underdog and listening to our community. When I took office as Tacoma Mayor, the city was facing the worst of the Great Recession. By the time I left, it was a thriving regional economic and cultural hub.”
Some of Reeves’ endorsements are from the Washington Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers Washington, the Teamsters Joint Council 28 and the Laborers International Union of North America.
American Federation of Teachers Washington president Karen Strickland said in a statement endorsing Reeves: “Kristine’s personal story of overcoming hardship and homelessness is compelling, and we believe her life experience and her determination will translate to work in Congress that centers the needs of the people most marginalized in our society. Kristine deeply understands the consequences of racial and economic inequality. ...”
Reeves spent time in foster care and experienced homelessness at times during her childhood. It’s “consistently been public school educators who showed up for me,” Reeves said.
Regarding the recent fundraising figures, she said: “I think really what it says is that as we continue to be a front runner in this race that our fundraising numbers are coming predominately from grassroots supporters.”
Collins, a 26-year-old truck driver, has done much of his fundraising via social media, with an average donation of about $15. He’s brought in $205,824, and he’s been endorsed by Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant. He lives in Tacoma.
“My experience is something that is not very common, not just in Congress, but in political spaces in general,” he said earlier this month at a debate hosted by the Washington State Wire and the Nature Conservancy of Washington. “I have not met a single other truck driver in organizing, and if I were in Congress, I would be taking an entirely different approach than anyone in this race.”
Gardner, 28, has raised $176,113. Some of his endorsements are from State Auditor Pat McCarthy, Puyallup Mayor Julie Door, congressmen David Ciciline and Mark Takano, and the Young Democrats of Washington.
“As Congressman Denny Heck’s District Director, Phil played an integral role in supporting South Sound veterans and relieving I-5 congestion,” McCarthy said in a Gardner fundraising email. “I know he’ll continue Denny’s outstanding work fighting for our local needs back in D.C. But Phil also has the experience, the guts, and the vision we need to move our country forward. And I’m proud to support a hometown candidate who is going to be a part of the next generation of leaders in this country.”
Gardner, who lives in Tacoma, said in a statement: “The super PACs and wealthy donors have had their say, and now this election is up to the voters who actually live here. As a first-time, 28-year-old candidate committed to changing D.C., I’m so proud of the campaign we’ve built in spite of a pandemic and economic contraction. Dozens of volunteers are texting and calling voters every day, and I know we have the message, the money, and the energy we need to win.”
Maynard, 45, has raised $51,715, to surpass Nancy Dailey Slotnick as the leading Republican candidate in fundraising. His endorsements include former Washington state Sen. Dino Rossi and former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.
“I think our success can be attributed to the fact that I’m the only candidate with a viable plan to address the biggest issue facing Washington residents – the economic crisis left in the wake of COVID-19,” Maynard said in a statement.
Slotnick, 56, is a small business owner and Army veteran who lives near Midland. She’s raised $48,424, and some of her endorsements include Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and former state representative Dick Muri.
“I considered the 25 years that I spent in the Army to be my public service,” she said during the Washington State Wire debate. “And as I became more and more disturbed with what was happening, I decided I needed to step forward and answer the call of my nation again. And I think I’m a really good fit for this district.”
