Poll: Greenway's $51,819 Leads Council Candidates in Fundraising

City Council incumbent has amassed a campaign warchest far outstripping any of the five other candidates vying to represent Kirkland in next week's elections, raising $51,819, according to state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) records.

In what is considered a tight race for City Council Postition 4, her challenger, former state legislator , has raised the next most of the candidates at $28,676.

Greenway's total could be a record for a Kirkland City Council race, but neither candidate is certain of that. Greenway said Tuesday she raised about $41,000 for her campaign four years ago, which was also a very close race.

Once Nixon announced last spring that he would run against her, Greenway said, she and her campaign staff knew they'd have to raise even more money.

"We knew it was going to be a very tough race," she said. "We have worked hard to raise money, which has been difficult in this economy. I feel good about what we have been able to accomplish."

Nixon, noting that Greenway has used some of her money to hire a fundraising consultant as well as a political adviser, said actual money spent "on the ground" by both would be much closer.

"We're pretty much a volunteer organization," Nixon said. "I am not using a Seattle political consultant to run my campaign. We're getting a great reception everywhere we go. Most folks think it's time for a change on the Kirkland City Council."

Greenway said she hired of Kirkland, a former state lawmaker and current 2012 congressional candidate, to advise her for two months on raising campaign funds, but not to actually raise those funds, at a cost of $1,600 per month.

The Greenway campaign hired the firm Argo Strategies for $2,500 to advise her on "the big picture," which she said is important this year because Kirkland is suddenly a much larger city with annexation, which on June 1 boosted the population from about 48,000 to 91,000.

"And that is exacty what they brought to us," she said, "the big picture."

In the other council race that is considered very close, Postion 2 incumbent , who also faces a by a local political action commitee, has raised $19,660, compared to challenger 's $4,642.

Finally, Postion 6 incumbent has raised $20,386, but probably will not need to spend all of it since his challenger, , is not actively campaigning due to a family illness. However, Hart's name remains on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election.

Click on the media gallery to view complete PDC lists of donors for each candidate.