Port candidates raise most in costly Kennewick races

By John Trumbo, Herald staff writer

KENNEWICK -- Getting elected to the city council or port in Kennewick is a costly venture this year, more than twice as much as it was eight years ago when there also were a large number of candidates.

A Tri-City Herald review of records from the state Public Disclosure Commission and from the candidates show they have collected more than $66,000 in the five races for city council. That averages to $6,600 per candidate, and is $35,000 more than what 11 candidates received in 2001.

But it is far less than what two candidates vying for a seat on the Port of Kennewick are pouring into their election efforts.

Port candidates Skip Novakovich and Jeffrey Losey have collectively gathered more than $35,000 together in the battle for position 1 on the three-seat commission. As of noon Friday, state data showed Novakovich having raised $17,661 compared with Losey's $17,525.

Altogether, the port and council candidates have amassed more than $100,000.

"I've never seen anything like it in my years on the council," said Tom Moak, the Kennewick mayor, who is spending less than $5,000 this time. Eight years ago, Moak spent $15,333 to beat back two challengers.

Helping fuel interest in the Kennewick council races this year is the potential for change: Five of the seven seats could see new members if voters opt for challengers over incumbents.

Here are the candidates and their campaign fund balances as of noon Friday:

-- Bob Parks, with $11,722. He is the incumbent in the at-large seat.

-- Sharon Brown, with $9,855. She is running for position 2.

-- John Hubbard, with $8,654. He is running for position 3.

-- James Hempstead, with $8,575. He is the position 2 incumbent.

-- Candice Bluechel, with 6,609. She is running for the at-large seat.

-- Tom Moak, with $4,733 raised in the position 3 race.

-- Don Britain, with $4,625 raised in the position 1 race.

-- Christopher Smart, with $3,751 raised in the position 7 race.

-- Steve Young, with $2,700 for the position 7 race.

-- Margery Price, with $700 raised for the position 1 race.

The largest single source of campaign cash is Carl Cadwell, owner of Cadwell Laboratories in Kennewick and an outspoken critic of any move by the Port of Kennewick or the Kennewick City Council to close Vista Field airport.

As of Thursday, Cadwell and his wife Lynda were the largest single source of campaign cash for candidates in those races -- $11,000 total in the primary and general elections.

"I live in Richland, but all my business and all my property is in Kennewick," said Cadwell, who hasn't hesitated to use his checkbook as a ballot.

"I can write checks and I can do it publicly," he said.

Cadwell cash has flowed to nearly every challenger in the council and port races, and not to one incumbent.

Losey and Novakovich each received $2,000 from the Cadwells. So did Brown and Bluechel.

Cadwell, who is a pilot and has a hangar at Vista Field, also supported Hubbard, Britain and Smart with contributions totaling $1,000 each. But he isn't the only pilot putting money into the election.

The Washington Pilots Association, based in Olympia, has donated $8,290 to all candidates so far this campaign year. The organization gave $1,935 to Brown, $1,135 to Bluechel, and $500 each to Smart, Britain and Hubbard.

The association also contributed $1,935 apiece to the campaigns of Novakovich and Losey.

Cadwell said he wants to see someone elected who will ask tough questions at city hall to avoid seeing a repeat of what happened with the antique carousel project and "the debacle" of the Columbia Park Golf Course lawsuit.

"The (Kennewick) council has been a bobble-head board," Cadwell said.

"I've really gotten to know the candidates this time and some of them are really good," he said.

Cadwell has no preference in the Port of Kennewick race, saying Novakovich and Losey each have good things to offer.

Other than Cadwell and the Washington Pilots Association, the top donors for each of the candidates, listed by races, are:

-- Kennewick, position 1: Price has $500 from her son, Noel Price; and $100 each from Jim Beaver and Paul Parish. Britain received $500 each from the Tri-Cities Realtors Association and from Scott Williams, and $250 each from the Kennewick Firefighters Association, the Tri-Cities Homebuilders Association, Paul Debuigne, Renee Debuigne and Don Clayhold.

-- Kennewick position 2: Hempstead has $800 from the Richland Firefighters Association, $500 each from the Hanford Firefighters Association and the International Association of Firefighters, $350 from Canyon Lakes Golf Course and $250 from John's Auto Mart. Brown has $500 each from Chep and Kay Gauntt, Brashear Electric, HB Development and M.A. Cowgill; $300 each from Jose and Tammy Chavallo and from M. Campbell and Company; and $250 each from the Tri-Cities Housing Council, Michael and Pamela McWhorter, Calvin Halterman, Donald and Theda Clayhold and from Sean and Maureen McGrath.

-- Kennewick position 3: Moak has $200 each from the Kennewick Firefighters Association, Mary Stender and from his brother, Donald; $180 from James Hempstead; and $150 each from Ed Frost and John Ziobro. Hubbard has $300 from Stu and Renee McKinnis, and $250 from the Tri-Cities Homebuilders Association.

-- Kennewick position 7: Young has financed his campaign without contributions and returned a $250 check from the Tri-Cities Homebuilders Association. Smart has $500 each from the Operating Engineers PAC, from Scott Williams and from Renee and Paul Debuigne, and $300 from his brother, Forrest Alexander.

-- Kennewick at-large position: Bob Parks has $2,000 from the United Steelworkers No. 12-369; $1,500 from the Operating Engineers PAC; $1,000 from the Benton County Republican Party; and $500 each from the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, his wife Nancy Parks, Perfection Glass, the Washington Association of Realtors and Edward Wright.

-- Port of Kennewick position 1: Jeff Losey has $5,000 from the Tri-Cities Housing Council; $2,000 from Cadwell; $1,935 from the pilots association; $1,000 from Mark Olenius; and $500 each from Andrew Brayton, H.E. Brayton, Jennifer Brayton, Robert A. Johnson and Daniel F. Kathren. Novakovich has $2,000 from the Cadwells; and $1,000 each from Mark Olenius and Terry Preszler and $500 each from Andrew Brayton, Jennifer Brayton, H.E. Brayton and Richard Jansons.

-- John Trumbo: 582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com

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Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Port candidates raise most in costly Kennewick races

By John Trumbo, Herald staff writer