Seattle - Gael Tarleton leads Bob Edwards in money raised and community endorsements in what has turned into the most contentious race for the Port of Seattle Commission this election.

Edwards has poured more than $113,000 into his own race. He finished October with $198,895 raised to date — more than half of this total comes from his own pocketbook, compared to Tarleton’s $213,313. 

Tarleton has garnered nearly 600 donors to her campaign. An estimated 79 percent of Tarleton’s donors reside in Washington state, the rest are friends and family. Edwards has also financed two hit pieces using Republican support in an attempt to falsely tie Tarleton to President George Bush’s unpopular war in Iraq. Edwards actually approved security contracts from the security company he disparages in his ads against Tarleton. For two years in a row after the Iraq war started, Edwards approved Port contracts with the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

“If you want a proven leader who will watchdog taxpayer dollars and bring transparency, trade and trust back to the Port, vote for me,” said Tarleton. “If you want more scandals, more failed audits, a polluted Puget Sound and cost overruns, by all means, stick with Bob Edwards.”

Tarleton has continued to edge out Edwards on major endorsements as well. Business, labor, environmental and democratic groups back Tarleton including Washington Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, The Alki Foundation, Allied Arts, King County Democrats, SEIU, UFCW Local 21, Unite HERE, Sea-Tac Firefighters, ATU, the PNW Regional Council of Carpenters, and Aerospace Machinists, Lodge 751. The Seattle Times, The Stranger, and the Northwest Progressive Institute have also endorsed Tarleton.

“Gael Tarleton is a trade and security expert who worked at SAIC during the Clinton administration and left that company well before the Iraq war started. Gael has spent her career on disaster management, environmental clean-up and anti-nuclear proliferation,” said Jason Bennett, Tarleton’s campaign consultant.  “When an incumbent doesn’t run on his own record of accomplishments, it’s because he doesn’t have one,” Bennett said. “Bob’s campaign is Joe McCarthy politics at its worst - side-stepping the truth and distracting voters from his owned failed leadership.”

Tarleton has dominated the race against the eight-year incumbent, consistently raising more money and garnering more support. Tarleton won the August 21st Primary by more than 9,500 votes over Edwards in a six-way race.