John Ladenburg

When Republican presidential candidate John McCain came to Washington on Tuesday, state Democrats were poised and ready to hit back on his stance on Iraq and his connection to the French-American firm that won a hotly debated Air Force contract earlier this year. While the state party mocked McCain and Dino Rossi for supporting him, one Democrat was more straightforward.

Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg directly called on his Republican opponent, Attorney General Rob McKenna, to disassociate himself with the McCain campaign. McKenna is the McCain's Washington State Campaign Chair.

Monday was the deadline for reporting April contributions and expenditures for campaigns here in Washington. Now that six months remain until election day, PolitickerWA.com will begin a monthly rundown of the financial status of the state's top races.

Here is how things stand as of April 30, 2008. The first number listed is contributions, the second number is expenditures and the third number is the difference between the two. Precluding any unusual circumstances, that third number is equal to cash on hand. The candidate with the most cash on hand is listed at the top of each section.

John LadenburgAt his official campaign kickoff last Monday, Democratic candidate for Attorney General John Ladenburg began his speech by talking about opening his first office as a trial lawyer in South Tacoma. He mentioned how he worked with tribes and blue collar folks from the neighborhood and boasted that he was one of the first lawyers around to work on behalf of battered women. 

Ladenburg still lives in blue collar South Tacoma, the neighborhood where he grew up. He even gets his haircut at the same barber shop on 56th and South Tacoma Way that he has been going to for thirty-odd years. It's just one of the ways that he keeps up with the local issues, and the gossip around town.

"I represented people in the neighborhood," he said.

TCH's Chris Mulick has compiled a list of some of the state's notable fundraisers for March over on his Olympia Dispatch blog.

Rep. Steve Kirby (D-Tacoma) stood out among sitting legislators, bringing in $11,660 between March 14 and March 31. It is also worth noting that Kirby's seat is currently uncontested.  read more »

TACOMA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire's campaign kickoff bus tour hit Tacoma's Stadium District today moments after noon in a meeting room dotted with campaign signs that read, "Making our communities safer." Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Belfair) began the festivities by calling her a fighter for, among other things, taking on the tobacco industry, and highlighted the construction of the second Narrows Bridge under her leadership before handing the microphone over to a series of political leaders.

Incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna faces an easy challenge by former Pierce County Prosecutor and Executive John Ladenburg. Although Ladenburg enjoys being a Democrat in what is certainly a Democratic year, McKenna has given voters no reason to oust him. A moderate record with little flash and solid cooperation with Governor Gregoire leaves McKenna in good shape to keep his office.  read more »

The Washington Federation of State Employees released its list of endorsements for the state this weekend after its delegates met to decide upon their candidate of choice in each race. As the press release states, "They primarily endorsed incumbents."  read more »

RENTON -

Pierce County Executive and Democratic Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg addressed a crowd of precinct officers, candidates and party activists at the monthly King County Democrats meeting Tuesday night at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Renton.

Pierce County Executive and State Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg (D-Tacoma) told the TNT's Political Buzz today that, as a member of the Sound Transit board, he is considering withholding a ballot initiative to bring light rail to Tacoma. The last plan, an $18 billion roads-and-transit proposal for King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, failed at the ballot box.

Lacey, WA -

A five-piece jazz band kicked out the funky jams while an assembly of Washington State Democratic Activists trickled into the St. Martin's College Pavilion basketball arena last night.  It was the annual crab feed, where paper plates carried the food, brown paper bags held the empty shells, and wooden mallets accompanied each table to smash up the peskiest of claws and legs.