Madore’s fundraising beats previous record

The $260,000 raised by Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart when he fended off former Vancouver Mayor Bruce Hagensen in 2006 was the most money raised by a local commissioner candidate on record; Hagensen raised $88,000.

Emphasis on the word “was.”

David Madore, according to updated Public Disclosure Commission records, has raised $268,681 in his effort to unseat Chairman Marc Boldt, a Hockinson Republican seeking his third term.

While Stuart didn’t use any personal money six years ago, most of Madore’s stash — $255,000 — comes out of his own pocket.

Madore said Monday that voters cannot be bought, and he cannot be bought by “special interest contributors that want to purchase influence.”

Statewide, Madore, a Vancouver Republican and owner of U.S. Digital, has more than twice as much money in his campaign war chest as any other candidate for local office.

Coming in at a distant second? Ridgefield Democrat Joe Tanner, who has raised $112,876 in his bid to unseat Battle Ground Republican Tom Mielke. Tanner has used $31,000 of his own money and loaned his campaign $10,000.

Tanner served in the state Legislature in the 1980s and worked as an executive for corporations including Zeno Corp., Three-Five Systems Inc. and Drypers Corp.

Mielke, seeking his second term, has raised $22,477. That includes a $2,750 personal loan and a personal contribution of $5, records show.

Boldt has raised $68,872 and has not spent any of his own money.

According to the PDC reports, Madore has spent $104,206. That includes paying $47,747 to Dresner Wickers Barber Sanders, a San Francisco company that brands itself as the “leading consulting firm for Republican candidates,” for creating advertisements and buying air time.

He also paid $10,000 to a Tumwater consulting firm, Allied Communications Strategies.

Anna Miller, one of the members of the executive board of the Clark County Republican Party — which voted to discipline Boldt before Madore announced his candidacy — has earned $3,000 as Madore’s volunteer coordinator. Vancouver company Support One Networks is listed as receiving $10,500 as a campaign manager; according to the state Department of Revenue that home business is owned by Garrett Delano.

Tanner has spent $88,965. His biggest payments include $14,365 to Markon Inc. of Vancouver for signs and $8,587 for Portland’s Morel Ink for mailers. Tanner has also paid his campaign manager, Nick Ande, vice chairman of the Clark County Democrats, $20,000.

The Madore-Boldt race, with a total of $337,553 raised by the candidates, is closing in on becoming the most expensive local commissioner race. That record was set in 2005, when Stuart ran to keep the seat he’d been appointed to fill. Mielke moved into a condo in Stuart’s district to run against him, and each candidate raised approximately $200,000, for a total of $400,000.

Commissioner candidates run countywide in the Nov. 6 general election. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 15.

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.