Setting the record straight on who is taking the most money from outside Renton (Spoiler, it’s not me)

My opponent’s contributions come primarily from outside Renton (addresses reported to PDC.)

My opponent has been falsely implying on her campaign websites that I am receiving more money from donors outside of Renton than she is.  In a recent video she says “It’s very unfortunate that outside money is being spent in our local election here.”  In a related post she says “Renton needs a Renton solution,” and claims she’s the one running a “Renton community centered campaign.”

Her claim is ridiculous, as the majority of her own campaign contributions, $32,030, have come from sources outside of Renton (like the Puppyland lobbyist in Issaquah that gave her $500).  In contrast, my campaign has accepted only $7,540 from outside of Renton, generally from people who work or own a business in Renton.  The data is publicly available on the PDC website, and I’ve summarized it in the charts above and below.

My views are very closely aligned with Renton residents, 77 percent of who have put either crime and safety or affordable housing at the top of the priority list in a recent city survey. Many of those engaged in trying to build affordable housing have been plagued by theft and vandalism at job sites, like a local contractor I know who has had his work truck and tools stolen three times in the past two years, once from Valley Hospital.  Not surprisingly, those who are working to build affordable housing have made it clear they support my agenda for a properly-staffed police department and sensible laws that protect businesses, over my opponent’s agenda which reflects her own “fear of law enforcement” and concerns about “over-policing” that she detailed in the Renton Reporter on April 27th.

These builders have independently informed Renton’s residents of their support of my agenda through mailers, expressing a strong desire for me to come back to Renton City Council and help put the city back on a healthy, thriving course. I knew nothing about these planned expenditures, and by law they are separate from my campaign.  But even if hypothetically this “outside money” was part of my campaign, the money I received from outside Renton in my campaign would STILL BE LESS THAN THE MONEY MY OPPONENT HAS RECEIVED FROM OUTSIDE RENTON.

In summary, my opponent is once again intentionally misleading the public about basic, easily-discoverable facts.  This calls into question both her basic fairness and her effectiveness at representing Renton regionally– if she can’t be trusted to be open and honest, how can she put Renton’s best case forward?

I’m honored to have a majority of our Renton City Council and our Renton Mayor supporting me in this campaign, while my opponent has no Renton city elected officials supporting her reelection bid.  Our relative capacities for sticking to the truth are part of the reason for my broad support from Renton’s leaders.

My contributions come primarily from inside Renton (addresses reported to PDC)