Incumbent 17th District Sen. Don Benton is awash in campaign money as he seeks  re-election this year.  The Vancouver Republican has raised more than $188,000 — the second-highest total raised by any legislative candidate to date, and more than Democratic Majority Leader Lisa Brown, the most powerful person in the Senate. And it’s still three weeks until the primary.

Challenger David Carrier, a Democrat who is new to electoral politics, has raised just over $7,500. Carrier has pledged to accept no money from special interests in the primary election.  He has rented out half his four-bedroom house to help subsidize his low-cost campaign.

Under the top two primary, both candidates will advance to the general election regardless of their primary vote tallies. The 17th includes east Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County north to just south of Battle Ground.

Carrier’s largest contribution so far is $1,000 from wealthy software animation developer Martin Hash, who dropped out of the race to unseat Benton after 17th District precinct committee officers endorsed Carrier.

“He wanted to do the thing that would unify the party, and he put that above his own interest,” Carrier said. “I think that’s exemplary. That’s how campaigns should be.”

An economics instructor at Washington State University Vancouver, Carrier, 52, has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Notre Dame.

“I’m very disturbed by the influence of money in politics,” Carrier said.  “That combines with the fact I’m very frugal. Maybe there are other ways to run a campaign.”

Ringing doorbells

He’s doing it, he said, by ringing doorbells, more than 3,000 so far, mainly neighborhoods south of the Padden Parkway.  By November, he hopes to reach out to 10,000 households.

He says he’s hearing what every candidate is hearing: worries about the high cost of gas, food and other basics, concern about Clark County’s transportation woes.

When it comes to the economy, Carrier’s top concern is the mortgage crisis and the rising rate of foreclosures.  He supports the home foreclosure bill Congress passed last week but thinks the state has a role to play, too.

“There are states that are buying up homes that are vacant,” he said. “I’d like to see Washington establish a community land trust to resell those houses with state-backed mortgages to make them affordable  for low-income people.  It doesn’t cost anything but helps get people into home ownership.”

Carrier’s Web site outlines his specific positions on a wide range of issues, including tax fairness, support for basic education, health care, transportation, affordable housing, energy independence and climate change. 

On the transportation issue closest to his district, he says, “The Columbia River Crossing is absolutely necessary to the economic health of this region.”

He’s been endorsed by Clark County’s Democratic legislators and several members of the local interfaith ecumenical community. (more...)

David Carrier, an Economics Instructor at Washington State University Vancouver and a Democratic candidate for State Senate in the 17th Legislative District, said Vancouver’s economy is tied to Portland’s. “If we want good jobs for future generations, we need to move more people and goods between here and Portland.” (more...)

David Carrier, a Democrat and a part-time economics instructor at Washington State University Vancouver, will run for the 17th District Senate seat currently held by Sen. Don Benton.

Carrier, a 52-year-old political newcomer, will face Benton, a Republican, and Martin Hash, a Democrat, in the Aug. 19 top two primary, which will narrow the field to two candidates for the general election.

Carrier was born in Massachusetts, grew up in Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland. He lived in Africa from 1981 to 1984, working with UNICEF and the Mennonite Central Committee to design and supervise construction of wells and earthen dams for water supply and irrigation.

He earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1995, and later worked as a senior economist with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, evaluating strategies to reduce or offset carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants.

A mountain-climber and kayaker, Carrier moved to Clark County in 2003, he said, to take advantage of “the mountains, the rivers.” He is a member of the board of the Southwest Washington Community Land Trust and the Jubilee Oregon Campaign for National Debt Review, which advocates for elimination of the national debt of the world’s poorest countries.

He lives in Cascade Park and has one son, who is in college.

Two recent events prompted his decision to seek elective office, Carrier said.

During the 2008 legislative session, he scheduled three meetings with Benton in Olympia to express his concerns about the absence of affordable housing and health care and the need to curb predatory lending. Twice, he said, Benton stood him up.  When they finally met, “His answer to every question was to cut taxes,” Carrier said. “That was a turning point for me.”

The second catalyst was his experience helping to run the 17th District Democratic Caucus in February as a  precinct committee officer. “People were so energized,” Carrier said. The caucus drew 90 people, he said, and participants reached unanimous consensus on five resolutions, including one calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. “I have a dream of bringing that kind of participation into the Legislature,” he said.

Carrier said he hopes to run a low-budget, nearly paper-free campaign, relying on a blog and a campaign Web site to inform voters of his positions on issues.  “I’m disturbed by the influence of money on politics,” he said. “I won’t be accepting any money from special interests,” at least in the primary.

Carrier said his approach to problem-solving is to try to find consensus. “If you listen long enough to both sides of the issue, you can find middle ground.”

I'm David Carrier and I'm running for State Senate in the 17th Legislative District. I am an Economist and teach economics part-time. I’m sick and tired of waking up every morning to more bad news about the economy. At the end of the Clinton Administration, the economy was humming along so well that the Congressional Budget Office predicted that we would completely eliminate government debt by about 2012.

When conservatives took control, they enacted the largest tax cuts in history, which added $1 trillion to the national debt. Of the $9 trillion national debt, fully 70% was created under the watch of just three so-called "conservative" presidents: President Reagan and the Bushes. That’s $30,000 for every person in America. 

Since your children will have to repay that debt, I think it’s fair to ask: did you get your money’s worth? Have conservative economic policies worked?  Are you better off?

Deficits are not just irresponsible, they have wrecked the economy. They crowded out private investment and drove up interest rates. We now have surging inflation and rising unemployment. Mortgage foreclosures and bank failures have caused chaos in financial markets, and the value of the dollar has plummeted. We’re very likely in a recession, and if you haven’t been affected yet, you will be. It could get much worse.

Many people are hurting- many have lost their jobs, some are losing their homes. Food and energy prices have skyrocketed. Many families live without health care. The number of Americans receiving food stamps this year will reach a record 28 million. That’s 1 out of every 12 Americans. In West Virginia, it’s 1 in 6.

The scary thing is, conservatives think nothing needs to be done about this- just cut taxes and markets will take care of themselves. That’s a joke. That’s what they said in 1932. Let's not risk another Great Depression.

As an economist, I’ve devoted my career to understanding economic problems. Now I want to do something about them.

Fortunately, our state government is already working on solutions. In just 3 years as Governor, Christine Gregoire has turned state deficits into surpluses, created 225,000 new jobs, and extended healthcare coverage to 84,000 children. Our state has been voted one of the 3 best managed states in the country, and we ranked 3rd in the nation for economic growth in 2007.

You know why? Because we’ve invested in transportation, ports, and schools. But more importantly, we’ve invested in people- through education, job training, health care, affordable housing, and renewable energy. This is the key to future economic growth and security.

My opponent in the state legislature voted “no” on these policies. I’m going to vote yes. It’s clear that conservative policies don’t work. Investing in people does. We can’t just walk away from our responsibility to each other and to the common good. In the end, what’s good for people is good for the economy.

Thanks for your support!

Senator Don Benton claims that his campaign is funded by small business owners and individual citizens at a clip of 60% of his total haul. Aside from the other 40% of his funds coming from places like the National Rifle Association, payday lenders such as Money Tree, tobacco companies like R.J. Reynolds, and corporations like Wal-Mart, Benton’s claims may be correct. (more...)

State Senator Don Benton (R-17) indicated on his F-1 filing with the Public Disclosure Commission that he had invested (as a SEP-IRA) over $75,000 with D3, while earning up to $2,999 in income through the investment. (more...)

Never one to shy away from conflict, Benton’s own campaign website contains some flame-throwing language about mass-transit... “Transportation decisions today are more about social engineering than they are about moving people,” it says. Sorry Don, but this isn’t gays in the military, Selma, Alabama or allowing freedom of expression. It's about giving residents an option other than driving their car. (more...)

Don Benton is widely regarded as the most prolific fundraiser in the Washington State legislature. He even released a DVD in 2006, “How to Raise More Money Than You Ever Dreamed Possible”... Don Benton’s campaign is funded by some less-than savory industries: banking and insurance companies, PACs and the omnipresent “Big Tobacco” (Phillip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, et. al.).  Lets not forget some other notable Benton contributors: Wal-Mart, the National Rifle Association and numerous cell phone carriers, like AT&T, Motorola and T-Mobile. (more...)

The Columbian reports that State Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver) missed the first 17 meetings this session of the Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education Committee upon which he sits, then finally showed up to push a bill of his, barring from teaching any public school instructors convicted of viewing pornography on school premises. Missing the first 17 meetings of the committee constitutes keening arrogance and extreme negligence...

Benton also has been declining per-diem payments, due to his frequent absences from his Senate duties, and missed a chance to help advance another bill he sponsored, SB 5276, at a February meeting of the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee. The measure, which would have prevented local sewer and water districts from collecting more than 12 months of unpaid bills from customers, was opposed by a local sewer district in Benton's Senate district, and by a statewide association. Benton wasn't there to say why it was a good idea. The last reported action on the bill before committee passage deadline was the hearing he missed. (more...)

Board counsel Mike O’Connell wrote to Benton in December. “...as you know, you must be sensitive to any perception that you are overreaching or somehow trading on your legislative position.” O’Connell advised that Benton “erect firewalls” between his legislative duties and his business. But Benton did not follow at least two of O’Connell’s suggestions. At least one lobbyist decided not to subscribe for a different reason. The lobbyist thinks Benton will soon be before the ethics board and didn’t want his clients’ names included in any complaint and hearing. (more...)

Benton, a Vancouver Republican, is developing an online newsletter called todayinpolitics.com that will compile links to newspaper articles written about government and politics. “Just one story you see could be directly relevant to your agency, your business or a client you represent and might save you or make you thousands,” Benton, a 10-year legislator, wrote in an e-mailed solicitation for his service.

But among those receiving the come-on were lobbyists who represent clients in front of the Legislature, including committees that Benton serves on. Legislative ethics generally restrict lawmakers from soliciting business from lobbyists. That’s because you can never be sure if they buy because they want to or because they feel like they have to. “What will it cost you NOT to subscribe?” Benton wrote. “That could be a princely sum indeed! (more...)

In spring 2002, the senate's private dining arrangement made news when 36 of 49 senators signed a letter complaining that, during the remodel, they would have to share a small lunchroom in the state library with House members. And they would have to get their food from the same kitchen that would be serving the public.

"This is unacceptable," Sen. Don Benton, a Republican, wrote in the letter. "We as members of the Senate have come to look forward to the quality food prepared by Jean-Pierre and Kerri, as well as the quiet camaraderie of our fellow Senators in a private setting."

The letter drew a flood of angry responses from the public. People were especially miffed to hear senators complain about losing their private dining room at a time when the state was facing one of its worst budget shortfalls in history. (more...)