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WA-GOV: Rossi Outraising Gregoire Down the Stretch

Submitted by Eric Earling on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 11:00
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The rematch of the 2004 gubernatorial contest that proved to be the closest such election in American history is shaping up to be just as competitive as mail-in ballots start arriving in most voters’ mailboxes later this week.

Public polling shows the race all knotted up, with the incumbent Christine Gregoire still below the important 50% threshold (note: there are no 3rd party candidates on the General Election ballot as there was in 2004). And pay attention to this from the write-up of the latest SurveyUSA poll:

Most striking: SurveyUSA is polling in 28 states. In state after state, as Democrat Barack Obama has run up the score at the top of the ticket, down-ticket Democrats have benefited. In other states, a rising Democratic tide is floating the boats of Democratic candidates for Senator, Governor, and Attorney General. Not in Washington State. Dino Rossi, rare among Republicans running for statewide office in 2008, is not being dragged down by John McCain. Christine Gregoire is not being pumped up by Barack Obama.
Furthermore, the finances of the race may actually favor the non-incumbent Rossi during the coming voting period. Since July 30 Gregoire has raised $2.25 million and as of a recent summary report filed yesterday according to state law, had a little over $1.4 million in cash-on-hand.
 
During the same time period Rossi raised $3.33 million, largely from a record-setting grassroots donor base of over 52,000 contributors. He ended the same reporting period with over $1.5 million in COH.
 
Not only have both candidates shattered individual fundraising records in the state by raising a combined $21.4 million through mid-October (they raised a combined $12.6 million in 2004), but as one would expect after 2004, independent groups on both sides are flooding the race with ads, mail, etc..
 
The catch: groups weighing on Rossi’s side, including the RGA and the Building Industry Association of Washington (whose were recently the subject of a WSJ editorial [pdf]), have significantly more cash to spend in the closing weeks than their left-of-center counterparts. Indeed, BIAW’s activities are poised to spend more than either candidate spent alone in 2004, while the RGA is spending $5.5 million in a massive, post-Labor Day push.

A Republican who isn't suffering from voter backlash AND who isn't being outspent in spades.  Who would have thought.

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