Stadium Election Up For Grabs West Says ; East Says No; Final Results May Be Days Away

Billionaire Paul Allen’s bid to build a $425 million sports stadium and exhibition center in Seattle was hanging in the balance Tuesday night with a statewide vote on the proposal too close to call.

Opponents eked out a narrow lead that held up through most of the evening. But as midnight approached, “yes” votes inched into the lead.

The bespectacled Allen took the stage at his campaign party and thanked volunteers. “The trend is positive,” he said. “Our projections show us ahead, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who helped with this campaign.”

“Thank you, Paul!” the crowd erupted.

The measure lost overwhelmingly in Eastern Washington, where voters apparently did not buy Allen’s dream of blowing up the Kingdome and building a new, open-air natural grass soccer and football stadium to keep the Seattle Seahawks in town.

Almost 63 percent of Spokane County voters punched their computer cards “no,” and the proposal was failing in all but six of the county’s 389 precincts.

Elections Supervisor Tom Wilbur said some 10,000 mail-in ballots had arrived too late to be processed by election workers Tuesday.

They will be counted Friday with others that were mailed before midnight. The final tally may not be known until next week.

Kay McGlocklin, a Spokane-area spokeswoman for Our Team Works, said she was not discouraged by the local results.

She expected them to improve as later ballots were counted.

“The momentum that we’ve gained, with all the media attention, and all the facts and figures finally out there, will help,” McGlocklin said. “I have no doubt we’ll be up.”

In Whitman County, the proposal lost by unofficial totals of 64 percent “no,” 36 percent “yes.” Negative ballots made up 74 percent of the votes in Pend Oreille and Ferry counties; 73 percent in Stevens County; and 72 percent in Lincoln County. All have more ballots to count in the coming days.

Even though the proposal was spiked east of the mountains, backers remained guardedly optimistic.

“As we got closer to Election Day, we gained every day. That makes me feel hopeful,” said campaign director Sue Tupper. “But we certainly have a horse race here. It is up in the air right now.”

The proposal included a complex funding plan, in which Allen kicked in $100 million, and the public $327 million.

Debt of $300 million for the project would be paid with a combination of tax and user-fee hikes and state tax credits.

The farther people lived from the proposed stadium, the harder the idea was to sell, Tupper said.

“It was a very tough issue to explain. And people in outlying areas were less connected, less energized and able to visualize the hope and promise of what could happen here.”

Bert Kolde of Football Northwest, Allen’s company, looked concerned. “I knew it was going to be close. Down to the wire. I’m nervous.”

Allen poured more than $5 million into the seven-week campaign, which a bedraggled band of opponents never had a prayer of matching.

At CJ’s Eatery in downtown Seattle, reporters outnumbered a single sidewalk anti-stadium demonstrator. Inside, at the No on 48 campaign’s election night party, a handful of people watched early returns with resignation on their faces.

Others were buoyed by returns that showed them giving Allen a run for his considerable money.

“This was nuts. We were fighting an incredible juggernaut,” said Chris Van Dyk of Stop Stadium Madness.

Many seemed to resent the Legislature’s sending them on what they felt to be an impossible mission by putting the measure on the ballot.

With only seven weeks to mount a campaign and face a billionaire with an open checkbook, opponents feared defeat from the beginning. To the end of the campaign, the overwhelming cash of the proponents stood in stark contrast to the shoe-string opposition.

Even the parties were telling.

At the No on 48 fest, it was strictly pay as you go, with cans of soda selling for $2 a pop.

Meanwhile, at Seattle’s Union Station, an elegant, red-brick landmark, stadium backers put on a spread of free food and a live band. Bouquets of balloons and inflatable football and soccer balls decorated tables for guests, who watched MTV, Seahawks game highlights and election returns on a large screen TV.

Seahawks players mingled with the crowd and there was valet parking.

After all, this was the campaign with so much money that it could afford to spring for freshly laid sod and gourmet coffee at campaign events. Not to mention consultants on both coasts, and half-million-dollar television buys.

“It was insane. Like being nuked,” said Sharon Gilpin, one of three paid staff members for the No on 48 campaign.

Opponents ran two separate campaigns and raised a little over $100,000 between them. Brian Livingston of Seattle, treasurer of the No on 48 Campaign, said the state made dubious history in allowing Allen to pay to host a statewide election on the date and issue of his choosing, without campaign spending limits to constrain him.

“We must never allow our politicians to sell our ballot box again. Many other special interests can come up with $5 million. If that is the price of democracy in this state we are in bad trouble.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo; Graphic: Stadium vote

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Lynda V. Mapes Staff writer Staff writer Jim Camden contributed to this report.