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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Murray Defends Campaign Says Opponent Linda Smith ‘Has Nothing On Me’ On Reforms

Scripps-Mcclatchy

When it comes to campaign finance reform, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray says her announced opponent, Republican Rep. Linda Smith, has nothing on her.

In announcing earlier this week she’d run for Murray’s Senate seat, Smith challenged the incumbent not to accept political action committee contributions or hold fund-raisers in Washington, D.C.

But Murray, talking for the first time with reporters since Smith’s announcement, said Wednesday she knows all about running low-budget campaigns.

“I put together a campaign that started campaign reform,” Murray said of her 1992 run for the Senate. “Linda has nothing on me on that.”

At a time when the cost of a Senate campaign can easily exceeded $5 million, Murray spent about $1.3 million to win her seat in 1992. Murray said her average donation was $45 in 1992 and most of the money came from residents of Washington state.

By way of comparison, Smith spent $1.2 million on her House race in 1996, a race she won by fewer than 900 votes. Smith did not accept PAC donations or hold Washington, D.C., fund-raisers, but she did accept money from the Republican Party, which does accept PAC contributions.

Smith said she will continue to accept party money, but added there was a difference between PAC contributions to individual candidates and to political parties.

“Getting direct PAC contributions is a practice designed to affect policy and decisions made in the halls of Congress,” Smith said. “Contributions to parties are diluted and spread to hundreds of candidates. I have no idea where the money came from.”

With the election more than 16 months away, Murray said she has spent little time focusing on her re-election. Wednesday, along with a handful of other senators, Murray unveiled legislation aimed at improving services for the nation’s youngest children, from birth to six years old.

“I have volunteers working on my campaign every day, but that is not where my focus has been,” she said. “I’m working on this bill. I am really not focusing on Linda or the campaign.”

Murray has, however, hired a political consultant and pollster and held two recent fund-raisers in the nation’s capital. She is raising money, including PAC contributions, but as of the beginning of the year had only $300,000 in her campaign account. The next fund-raising reports are due at the Federal Election Commission July 1.

Smith was the first announced challenger to Murray, but other Republicans, including Reps. Jennifer Dunn, George Nethercutt and Rick White, are considering entering the race.