Heidi Eisenhour held a commanding lead in fundraising over Lorna Smith in the race for District 2 Jefferson County commissioner entering the first week of voting in the 2020 General Election.

Jefferson County elections workers mailed ballots to nearly 27,000 registered voters Wednesday.

Eisenhour enters the final stretch of the campaign with a substantial lead in total donations raised, as well as cash on hand, according to finance reports on file with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, the state’s watchdog on campaign financing.

Eisenhour has raised $45,845 in donations through Oct. 12, according to the PDC.

Smith, by contrast, has raised a total of $32,993.

So far, Eisenhour has an advantage of $12,852 in total donations over Smith. That difference is more than Amanda Funaro, the third candidate in the race who was eliminated in the August primary, raised during her entire campaign. Funaro had raised $12,635 before she conceded and threw her support to Eisenhour.

PDC records show that Eisenhour has spent more on her campaign so far than Smith.

Through Oct. 12, Eisenhour has reported expenditures of $23,128.

Smith has reported campaign expenditures of $20,356.

The two candidates, both Democrats, are making their first run for a seat on the three-member board of county commissioners.

Eisenhour’s campaign-donation reports show more than 300 contributions, with six individual donations of $1,000.

Four of those six largest donations come from Jefferson County, with the other two coming from givers in Arizona.

According to Smith’s campaign-donation reports submitted to the PDC, she has collected more than
280 contributions, with seven donations of $1,000.

Three of those $1,000 donations are from donors in Washington state; one in Jefferson County, and two in Seattle. The remaining four donations of $1,000 are from givers in California.

In the three races for District 24 positions in the Washington State Legislature, the Democratic Party candidates — all incumbents — have out-raised their Republican opponents.

In the 24th District Senate race, Kevin Van De Wege has reported raising $169,868 in donations through Oct. 12.

Connie Beauvais, the GOP challenger, has raised $84,087.

The gap in fundraising between the two is $85,781.

Van De Wege has reported campaign expenditures of $134,970, leaving him with a balance of $34,898.

Beauvais’ campaign has spent $65,097, and has a balance of $18,990.

In the 24th District House races, both Democratic Party incumbents also enter the final stretch of the 2020 race with a cash advantage over their opponents.

Mike Chapman has raised $108,334 for his re-election bid to Position 1, and the incumbent has spent just $17,246, leaving a reserve of $91,088 in his campaign coffers.

Forde, the Republican challenger, has pulled in $46,666 in donations.

Forde has spent $11,734 in the race, and has a cash balance of $34,932 as of Oct. 12, according to the PDC.

In the Position 2 contest, Steven Tharinger has raised $103,844. His re-election campaign has spent $83,676 through Monday, leaving a balance of $20,168.

Brian Pruiett, the Republican in the race, has raised $36,771 and spent $19,659. His campaign has reported a balance of $17,112.

Voters can research candidates and the donations made to their campaigns on the PDC’s website at www.pdc.wa.gov.