November 09, 2022

Spending in state legislative races approached record levels during the 2022 cycle.

Candidates vying for the 26th District Senate seat have reported spending a combined $1.6 million, placing it in line to become at least the third costliest legislative race in state history – just behind the T’wina Nobles-Steve O’Ban contest in the 28th District in 2020, which saw a combined spending of $1.8 million between the two.

Incumbent Emily Randall and challenger Jesse Young have reported more than $1.7 million in contributions so far and could report additional receipts in the coming days. If they spend all the money on hand, their campaigns could top the Nobles-O’Ban race. Reports disclosing spending over the last week, as well as any post-election expenditures, are due Dec. 12.

In the House, the race for Position 1 in the 42nd District between incumbent  Alicia Rule and challenger Tawsha Dykstra Thompson is shaping up as the costliest House race in Washington state, with combined spending reported by the candidates of $865,729. That’s more than the current record in that category: the race between Teri Hickel and Carol Gregory in 2015 in the 30th District, which saw combined spending by the candidates of $821,735.

Rule's reported expenditures of $491,649 also makes hers the single highest spending House campaign in state history, surpassing the $433,514 spent by 10th District candidate Dave Paul in 2020.

You can find financial reports from campaigns on our website, www.pdc.wa.gov. From the home page, click on Political Disclosure Reporting Data.

To find record-setting campaigns from past years, scroll to the bottom and click on Historic Record-Setting Campaigns.