Demos’ Governor Candidate To Get ‘Jump-Start’ Winner Of Sept. 17 Primary Will Get $100,000 From Party Treasury

State Democrats will have more than a laurel wreath for the winner of their gubernatorial primary this month. The winner will get $100,000 in cash.

“We want to give our nominee a jumpstart,” state party Chairman Paul Berendt said in an interview Tuesday.

Berendt is hosting a fund-raising reception at his Olympia home tonight, to be followed by events in Spokane and Seattle. Suggested donation: $96 per couple.

The party already has raised about $40,000 for its “Governor’s Victory Fund” and should easily raise enough to cut a $100,000 check immediately after the Sept. 17 primary, Berendt said. The party may eventually give a total of $200,000 or more to its gubernatorial nominee, he said.

GOP State Chairman Ken Eikenberry said the Republicans will “certainly match whatever the Democrats do,” but that some of the state party help may come as in-kind gifts like mailings.

The party likely won’t be ready with anything like a $100,000 check to the winner this month, said GOP spokesman Todd Myers.

Berendt said the Democratic dollars will be turned over to the party nominee with no strings, and will help the standard-bearer get a fast start buying television time, meeting a payroll or meeting other early campaign expenses while backers are replenishing the treasury.

The two major parties will play a largerthan-usual role in financing this year’s races. A voter-approved campaign finance initiative limits individual donors to $1,100 each for he primary and general election campaigns for statewide offices like governor. But individuals may give an unlimited amount to the parties, which, in turn, can channel the money to the candidates. Political action committees and corporations are limited to $2,750 gifts to a party in a given year.

Berendt said many of the donors have previously stayed neutral in the primary. Campaign directors for the three leading Democrats, Norm Rice, Gary Locke and Jay Inslee, all are supportive of the state party efforts, he said.

The Spokane event is Thursday at the home of state committeeman Greg Sypolt and his wife Cindi. The Seattle fund-raiser is Sept. 11 at the home of Frank Greer and Stephanie Solien, both longtime campaign advisers to President Clinton. Solien is chairwoman of this year’s Clinton-Gore campaign in the state. Her husband is a nationally prominent media consultant.