Builders Weigh in for Balducci; Late Money for Wilson
The Master Builders of King and Snohomish County just plowed $125,000 into a new PAC backing King County Councilwoman Claudia Balduccis bid for King County Executive.
The infusion into the Cascade Leadership Fund is the first big outside money weve seen in the race between Balducci, who was formerly mayor of Bellevue, and Girmay Zahilay, her colleague on the council. Zahilay, considered the more progressive of the two, finished well ahead of Balducci in the August primary, although he fell short of 50 percent. The race is open for the first time in a dogs age after former Executive Dow Constantine stepped down to make bank running Sound Transit.
The property-development crowd is generally backing Balducci, who is also beloved by the transit crowd for advocacy for light rail on the Eastside. Much of the progressive Democratic establishment, including Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown, have flocked to Zahilays banner. It should be noted that $125,000 doesnt buy you much in a county-wide campaign. Weve seen similar amounts essentially vanish without noticeable effect because King County is a big place.
The builders normally do their political spending as the Affordable Housing Council, a separate PAC. That committee is the single largest donor to the independent PAC backing incumbent Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, which currently enjoys a lopsided cash advantage over challenger Katie Wilson.
https://www.postalley.org/2025/10/09/builders-weigh-in-for-claudia-balducci-late-money-for-wilson/