Serving Franklin County, WA

Beaton leads fundraising for Franklin County Commission District No. 1 seat

Dozens of contributors line up behind candidates trying to unseat incumbent

PASCO — Franklin County Auditor Matt Beaton is leading the fundraising effort among candidates seeking the county Commissioner District No. 1 seat.

According to state Public Disclosure Commission records, Beaton has collected $24,790.08 in his bid to unseat incumbent Lowell "Brad" Peck, who is reporting $1,391.69 in self loans. Both are running as Republicans.

Democrat Kim Lehrman, whose name tops the list of the three candidates on the ballot, reported campaign contributions of $6,399.15.

All three are competing in the Aug. 4 primary election; ballots were mailed last week. Only two of the three candidates will advance to the general election in Novemer.

Records show Beaton collected most of his campaign finance warchest during the last reporting period, from June 1 to July 13. And most of his financial support has come from Franklin County.

During that period, he collected $5,255.00, records show. He still had $4,854.26 in cash on hand as of July 13.

Beaton's report shows he spent $7,160.00 with Townsquare Media Tri-Cities of Pasco on June 24 for media services.

He also spent $3,780.75 with Esprit Minuteman Press of Kennewick for mailers, $2,016.00 with Stephens Media Group of Kennewick for radio advertising and $1,644 with Cherry Creek Media of Pasco for radio advertising, the report shows. He also spent less money on smaller advertising campaigns, signs and more.

Lehrman's report shows a lot of contributors from outside Franklin County.

According to the Public Disclosure Commission, she had collected $4,146.36 in cash and in-kind donations during the last reporting period.

To date, she has spent $3,633.84 of her campaign fund, leaving her a balance of $1,514.27 as of July 13.

Lehrman's largest expense is $1,000, paid in advance to Diamante Media of Kennewick for radio advertising for the weeks of July 16 to Aug. 4. Her second largest expense is $729.24 for signs, paid to a Salt Lake City, Utah, online company.

Meanwhile, incumbent Peck has the least money and the fewest donors to his campaign.

He reported collecting a total of $1,391.69 and spending all of it during the month of May, records show.

He loaned himself cash twice during this election cycle, records show. On May 11, he gave his campaign a personal loan of $943.25. Then on May 24, he loaned his campaign an additional $448.44.

His fund currently has balance of $931.98, although records don't show where those funds came from.

Here are the collections to date, as reported by the state Public Disclosure Commission, for candidates Beaton and Lehrman:

Matt Beaton

Beaton is reoprting dozens of donations from Franklin County businesses and residents.

Those donating $1,000 include D'Ann Ramsey of Pasco, Donna Heinen of Mesa, Stacie Gilmore of Eltopia, Kevin Heinen of Mesa, John Ramsey of Pasco, Amy MacHugh of Pasco, Washington Association of Realtors Political Action Committee of Olympia, Sharon Deruyter of Pasco, Steve Deruyter of Pasco and David MacHugh of Pasco.

Other Top 45 donors include Mark Wiseler of Mesa, $800; Monte Beaton of Arlington, $500; Carol Curtis of Mesa, $500; Nolan Empey of Mesa, $500; George Bowen of Pasco, $500; Terry Brown of Pasco, $500; Brenda Prince of Kennewick, $500; Norman Curtis of Mesa, $500; Charles Grigg of Pasco, $400; Melissa Beaton of Mount Vernon, $350; Stephen Bauman of Pasco, $300; Alice Didier of Eltopia, $300; Michael Reed of Pasco, $250; Manton Bailie of Mesa, $250; C.D. "Butch" Booker of of Colfax, $250; Merle Booker of Connell, $250; Brandie Castillo of Pasco, $250; Heladio Castillo of Pasco, $250; Allinda Dockstader of Pasco, $250; George Dockstader of Pasco, $250; Maria Roach of Pasco, $250; Kathy Reed of Pasco, $250; Brent Heinen of Eltopia, $250; Patti Bailie of Mesa, $250; Sheryl Heinen of Eltopia, $250; Ted Tschirky of Pasco, $200; Qwik's Country Store of Eltopia, $200; Scott English of Mesa, $200; Nancy Clark of Pasco, $200; John Schultz of Pasco, $200; Drew Vincent, $175; Nadene Vincent of Pasco, $175; Maury Balcom of Pasco, $166.67; and Kellee Balcom of Pasco, $166.67.

Others donating $100 or more include Jared Balcom of Pasco, $166.66; Patrick Heinen of Richland, $125; Deborah Heinen of Richland, $125; Saundra Worsham of Mesa, $125; Sharon Prantle of Pas co, $125; LeRoy Prantle of Pasco, $125; Ron Worsham of Mesa, $125; Teresa Prantle of Pasco, $125; Joel Prantle of Pasco, $125; Charlotte Benjamin of Spokane Valley, $100; Cascade Valuations Group of Cle Elum, $100; William Boulds of Kent, $100; Chris O'Neill of Pasco, $100; Richard Lathim of Pasco, $100; Mary Lathim of Pasco, $100; Jerrod MacPherson of Pasco, $100; Julianna MacPherson of Pasco, $100; Mike Wiessler of Mesa, $100; Dan Blasdel of Pasco, $100; Mike Erickson of Pasco, $100; and Jordan Erickson of Pasco, $100.

Beaton has about three dozen other small donors.

Kim Lehrman

She has two contributors who donated $1,000 and two who donated $500 each. They are Mark Reis oand International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union No. 112 Political Action Committee, both of Kennewick, $1,000 each; and Teamsters Local No. 839 of Pasco and Washington Teamsters Legislative League of Tuckwila, both $500 each.

Contributing between $200 and $500 are Washington State Democrats of Seattle, $476.36 (in-kind); Molly Peterson of Richland, $300 (in-kind); Russell Shjuerven of Kennewick, $250; Dale Width of Pasco, $200; Jody Campbell of Tacoa, $200; and Rebecca Francik of Pasco, $200.

Lehrman also provided $307.76 of in-kind contributions to her own campaign.

Others contributing more than $100 include Sean Nave of Pasco, $190; Frances Chvatal of Walla Walla, $125; Whitney Billman of Pasco, $100; Katie Fox of Pasco, $100; Danica Garcia of Richland, $100; Brian Griffith of Pasco, $100; Molly Holleran of Richland, $100; and Joni Martin of Pasco, $100.

She has less than two dozen small donors to her campaign.

Author Bio

Roger Harnack, Publisher

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Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.

 

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