Motto for 2019 Seattle City Council elections: The bucks stop here With 7 of 9 seats up for grabs, money is pouring into the races

Not your business community favorites. Councilmembers Kshama Sawant, right, and Lisa Herbold, are seeking reelection this fall. Not your business community favorites. Councilmembers Kshama Sawant, right, and Lisa Herbold, are seeking reelection this fall. Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Motto for 2019 Seattle City Council elections: The bucks stop here 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

The election to fill seven Seattle City Council seats is months away, but it's already possible to see the big and the small of it.

There's good news for small giving in 2019: 25 candidates have qualified for democracy vouchers, with hopefuls raising as much as $50,000 in a program that provides taxpayer money for those pledging to limit spending.

But big givers are making other news: The Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy, political arm of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, has built a $702,000 warchest aimed at influencing the seven races up this fall.

Seattle voters get $100 to spend in the form of four $25 vouchers, which they can sign over to the candidate or candidates of their choice.

The Civic Alliance's donations include $200,000 from Amazon, $50,000 from Expedia, $50,000 from Vulcan, $25,000 from the Washington Association of Realtors, $20,000 from Alaska Airlines, $15,000 from Comcast and $10,000 from Wright Runstad. The list of business donors goes on from there, according to filings with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.

RELATED: Message from Seattle doorsteps to Council candidates: City Hall isn't listening

"Money is the mother's milk of politics," colorful California Assembly Speaker Jess Unruh once declared.

The Civic Alliance is spending it, paying for polls by EMC Research, consulting by the Monument Policy Group, compliance by Blue Wave Political Partners and consulting/fundraising by Newman Partners.

(Tracy Newman is chief fundraiser in Gov. Jay Inslee's presidential campaign, and author of countless, populist "Fight Back!" email money appeals by Sen. Patty Murray.)

The 2019 contests offer a chance to "flip" what has been a very liberal City Council. Four Council incumbents have decided not to seek reelection. Fifty-seven candidates are running for the seven seats. It's kind of like the Kentucky Derby with a big field seeking momentum and recognition out of the gate.

The recognition race consists of many events such as a 6 p.m. Wednesday forum at the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Avenue. It will pit socialist District 3 (Central Area, Capitol Hill, Madison Park) incumbent Kshama Sawant against four of her challengers.

The Young Democrats of King County will hear candidates and make endorsements this coming Sunday.

But such audiences are limited. A big budget "independent" spending campaign can overwhelm neighborhood events with direct mailings, new media and TV spots. The Civic Alliance spent heavily in support of Mayor Jenny Durkan two years ago.

So far, who stands out:

--Sawant leads all comers with $102,000 raised, 46% of it from outside Seattle city limits, with about 45% raised in contributions of $500 and above.

The Socialist Alternative incumbent has a nationwide fundraising base. She is the Trotskyist party's single star attraction. She has sworn off democracy vouchers, and spending limits, on grounds that corporations like Amazon will spend heavily to defeat her.

--Vouchers are having an impact. Two top recipients of voucher bucks -- District 1 (West Seattle) incumbent Lisa Herbold and District 2 (Southeast Seattle) community activist Tammy Morales -- are not the sort of candidates to be blessed by the Civic Alliance.

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Herbold has collected $46,100 in voucher money, and Morales $51,750, according to their latest filings with the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. A democratic socialist hopeful Shaun Scott in District 4 (Wallingford, U. District, Windermere, Laurelhurst) has received more than $56,000.

--Several districts have quality candidates and well-organized campaigns. In District 6 (Ballard, Northwest Seattle), physician Jay Fathi, gun safety advocate Dan Strauss, and ex-Council member Heidi Wills are picking up endorsements and piling up voucher bucks.

What if the Civil Alliance weighs in heavily on behalf of one candidate, and what would it take for the Civic Alliance to weigh in heavily?

Or in the talent-laden District 7 race to replace retiring incumbent Sally Bagshaw. At least a few forum watchers have wished they could elect Jim Pugel, Andrew Lewis and Michael George to the Council.

A spirited cadre of volunteers has been known to edge out downtown clout. The tight 2015 victory of Lisa Herbold over County Council aide Shannon Braddock was such a victory. The 2015 election saw Tammy Morales come out of nowhere to almost unseat languid incumbent Bruce Harrell.

Volunteers often fighter harder, and with more imagination, than mercenaries . . . although the Civic Alliance warchest suggest that if all goes well, well-connected Democratic consultants can look forward to holiday season vacations in Hawaii.

"The Bucks Stop Here" was title of a ferocious money-in-politics program put together in the 1970's by a trio of KING-TV troublemakers -- Charley Royer, Bob Royer and Don McGaffin. It showed corporate purchase of the Washington State Legislature. Its message: It's dangerous when anybody buys a legislative body.

Want to even up the odds? Put direct mailings in the trash. Invite candidates to your neighborhood. Turn out to hear them. Spend your vouchers, and wisely.