By Assunta Ng
King County has released data showing which districts voted Democrat and which districts voted Republican during the governor’s race. Rich districts such as Medina, Hunts Point, and Yarrow Point voted for Republican Rob McKenna, while poor districts, such as the International District, went for Inslee.
Ironically, the ID raised over $50,000 for McKenna, while Inslee raised only a few thousand dollars. McKenna held the advantage in fundraising because he had a campaign office in the ID.
Let’s do the math. Rich districts are thinly populated, while Chinatown is densely populated. One third of the city’s Asian population lives in the International District. While rich districts might provide big donors, that doesn’t mean that the ID voters are easily swayed.
Many of the McKenna’s donors don’t even live in the International District. Even the organizers of these fundraising events are outsiders. The lesson is, when politicians hold fundraising events in a particular area, it doesn’t mean you have the support of the residents. You have to work harder to involve the people who live there. McKenna’s Chinatown office was way under-utilized. (end)
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