Three of bigger spenders won, five lost in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park elections

By Evan Smith

Contributing Writer

The candidates who raised and spent more money than their opponents won three of eight elections in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and lost the other five.

One of the higher fundraisers who lost has an exception to his fundraising.

That’s in the contest for Lake Forest Park mayor, in which losing candidate Dwight Thompson reported raising $29,999 and spending $23,773 to winning candidate Mary Jane Goss’ $23,606 raised and $18,629 spent. However, Thompson’s fundraising included a $5,314 personal contribution and $9,400 in loans. Goss had a $2,368 personal contribution and $3,516 in loans.

Former City Councilwoman Goss won with 52 percent of the vote to 47 percent for current Councilman and Deputy Mayor Thompson.

Shoreline City Council challenger William Hubbell lost to incumbent Councilman Chris Eggen by a 70 percent to 29 percent margin although Hubbell reported raising $9,719 and spending $13,408 to Eggen’s $18,770 raised and $11,135 spent.

The State Public Disclosure Commission does not have detailed information about Hubbell’s fundraising and spending because he filed by mail, while the other candidates filed electronically.

In the closest and most expensive Shoreline City Council contest, winning candidate Jesse Salomon raised $35,415 and spent $30,457, with a campaign debt of $12,016. Opponent Robin McClelland reported raising $26,735 and spending $19,480, with a campaign debt of $4,700. Salomon’s fundraising included a $10,300 personal contribution and $4,700 in loans.

McClelland’s fundraising included a $600 personal contribution and $4,700 in loans. Salomon won 50 percent to 49 percent.

In the other Shoreline Council race, winning incumbent Councilwoman Doris McConnell raised $18,770 and spent $11,135, with a campaign debt of $2,000 to repay a loan of $2,000. Her opponent, former Councilwoman Janet Way, reported raising $13,233 and spending $12,121. Way made a $16 personal contribution. McConnell won with 61 percent of the vote to 39 percent for Way.

Only one winning Lake Forest Park City Council candidate raised and spent more money than her opponent.

That was incumbent LFP Councilwoman Catherine Stanford, who raised and spent $11,034 to challenger Brian Cathcart’s $2,525 raised and $1,423 spent with a $1,000 campaign debt. Stanford won by a 55 percent to 44 percent margin.

Losing LFP Council candidate Chuck Paulsen raised $8,378 and spent $8,359 to winning candidate Jeff Johnson’s $4,420 raised and $3,640 spent. Johnson won by a 51 percent to 49 percent margin.

Losing incumbent LFP Councilman Ed Sterner reported raising $13,624 and spending $11,380 to winning challenger Tom French’s $2,525 raised and $600 spent. Sterner had a campaign debt of $2,309, with loans of $2,000 and a personal contribution of $6,250. French had no campaign debt, loans or personal contributions. French won by a 50 percent to 49 percent margin.

The only Shoreline School Board candidate with significant fundraising and spending was losing challenger Kyle Burleigh, who reported raising $8,622 and spending $8,402, with a campaign debt of $800. Burleigh reported a personal contribution of $1,000 and loans of $1,100. Winning incumbent Mike Jacobs reported no fundraising or spending beyond the $5,000 limit for mini-reporting, which exempts candidates from filing detailed periodic reports before the election. Jacobs won by a 66 percent to 34 percent margin.

The three candidates for the other two School Board positions stayed within the State Public Disclosure Commission’s mini-reporting limit.

All candidates for the Northshore Fire Commission, the Ronald Wastewater District, the Shoreline Fire Commission and the Shoreline Water Commission stayed within the mini-reporting limit.

The relationship between money and winning also was mixed in nearby cities. Newly elected Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling raised and spent much more money than defeated former Mayor Mike Cooper. Earling won by a 2-1 margin, but three of four City Council winners raised and spent less than the candidates they defeated.

In Lynnwood, the group supporting changing the City’s form of government from a mayor-council system to a council-manager system raised and spent much more than the opposition group, but the proposition lost by a clear margin.