Beyond the Cascade Curtain…

…Jimmy has an encouraging word from WA-4.

Pasco Democrat George Fearing out-raised U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, during the first quarter in his bid to unseat the seven-term incumbent but still lagged far behind in overall fundraising and cash on hand. Fearing raised more than $38,000, bringing his campaign total to over $102,000. Fearing had about $36,000 on hand as of March 31.

Hastings raised almost $33,000 for his re-election campaign to bring his campaign total to over $272,000. He had about $227,000 on hand as of March 31.

Digging deeper, Jimmy reports that while all of Fearing's money came from individual donors, only nine individuals wrote reportable checks to Hastings, with $31k of his take coming from corporate PACs. It sounds like his COH bulge is based on a lot of maxed out PACs, with little grassroots interest in refilling the tank.

Fearing, on the other hand, has turned in the kind of performance that could attract the attention of labor PACs and Party committees that might otherwise overlook the race. The list of under-exposed challengers out-raiding entrenched incumbents is a short one, one George can be proud to be on.

This just might be the year we avenge Jay Inslee.