THE RACE IS ON | THE STRANGER

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THE RACE IS ON
Gregoire Settlement, Sims Tax Plan Impact Gubernatorial Race
by Sandeep Kaushik


FACE IT, CHRISTINE Ron's in the race.
photo by Brooke Kempner, Annie Marie Musselman

The June fundraising numbers are in, and if that's all there was to the governor's race, it would be no contest. King County Executive Ron Sims continues to collect pennies off the sidewalk relative to Chris Gregoire's ever-dispensing cash machine.

The attorney general pulled in a hefty $486,000 during the month, about five times the $97,000 Sims raised. More importantly, Gregoire cut her campaign outflows significantly, allowing her to bank a healthy $300,000 for the month and pushing her overall cash on hand over the $1.5 million mark. Sims, by contrast, ferreted away a paltry $9,000 for the month, leaving his cash total under $650,000.

But for a guy who is having trouble raising money and is trailing in his bid to become Washington State's next governor, Sims is sounding surprisingly upbeat about his chances. "Gregoire is out there without a parachute," he contends with a smile. "Where is she going to go?"

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