Rossi leads Gregoire in local fundraising

Gov. Chris Gregoire

Dino Rossi

Republican Dino Rossi has raised $455,224 from Clark County donors in his campaign for governor, eclipsing the $262,135 raised here by Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire.

County-by-county contributions totals within Washington state were released Friday by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.

They show Gregoire with a substantial fundraising advantage in King County, the state’s most populous, where she has raised $6.7 million to just under $3.8 million for Rossi. Gregoire also is raising more in Thurston County, home of the state capital, and in tiny Pacific County.

As of Friday, Rossi held the fund-raising lead in 36 of the state’s 39 counties.

In all, Gregoire has raised $10,163,554 in cash and in-kind contributions to Rossi’s $9,486,958.

The totals do not include out-of-state contributions or independent expenditures made on behalf of both candidates. When those are included, more than $32 million has been spent to date in the Gregoire-Rossi rematch.