Grant PUD races most costly PUD races in the state

by Richard Byrd
| November 4, 2018 9:19 PM

MOSES LAKE — This year’s Grant County Public Utilities District (PUD) races are proving to be costly and when it comes to campaign contributions/expenditures the figures are the highest in the state for PUD races.

Of the 39 counties in Washington, 12 have PUD races on the general election ballot this year. Only three of those county races have candidates who have not chosen the mini-reporting option with regard to the reporting of campaign contributions. According to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), the mini-reporting option is available to candidates who will raise and spend no more than $5,000 and will not receive more than $500 from a contributor “other than themselves.”

In the three PUD races with candidates who did not choose mini-reporting, there are a total of 10 candidates. Total cash contributions, not including in-kind (non-monetary) contributions, statewide totaled $218,007.79 as of Friday. Grant County PUD candidates Judy Wilson ($47,107), Terry Brewer ($18,812), Patti Paris ($29,460) and Nelson Cox ($56,757) account for $152,136, about 71 percent, of that statewide figure.

Individually, Wilson accounts for 22 percent, Brewer accounts for 9 percent, Paris accounts for 14 percent and Cox accounts for 26 percent of cash contributions to PUD races statewide. Locally, the candidates have received the following percentages of the cash contributions in Grant County for the two PUD races on the ballot: 31 percent for Wilson, 12 percent for Brewer, 19 percent for Paris and 37 percent for Cox.

On the expenditure side, $280,250.75 has been spent in itemized expenditures. In combining totals from Grant County candidates, Wilson ($53,651.34), Brewer ($26,764.95), Paris ($48,376.97) and Cox ($59,822.74) account for a total of $188,616, roughly 67 percent, of the statewide expenditure total for PUD races. Individually, Wilson accounts for 19 percent, Brewer accounts for 10 percent, Paris accounts for 17 percent and Cox accounts for 21 percent of the statewide PUD race expenditures.

Locally, the candidates account for the following percentages of campaign expenditures for Grant County PUD races: 28 percent for Wilson, 14 percent for Brewer, 26 percent for Paris and 32 percent for Cox.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.