Endorsement causes conflict in Boyce-Kauffman Senate race

Things are heating up in the final weeks of campaigning for the 47th Legislative District Senate race between Kent Republican Bill Boyce and Kent Democrat Claudia Kauffman.

Kauffman sent a campaign email to her supporters that connected Boyce to the Lynnwood-based Family Policy Institute of Washington.

“My opponent doesn’t represent the families of the 47th,” Kauffman said in the email provided to the Kent Reporter. “He was recently endorsed by the Family Policy Institute of Washington, an extremist organization that opposes abortion rights and marriage equality.

“We can’t allow these extreme views in our state Legislature. Our families deserve solutions that will move us forward together, not regressive ideas that divide us.”

In response to that email, Boyce issued a statement about what he called a “Kauffman attack.”

“My opponent criticized me for an ‘endorsement’ from a group that does not share my values nor those of the 47th District I seek to represent,” Boyce said. “To be clear I have neither sought nor received an endorsement from this organization. I have instructed my treasurer to return any donations this group may try to make to my campaign.

“For my opponent to tell voters that I share the values of a group with such extremist rhetoric is flat wrong. Anyone who knows me understands that my campaign is centered on the values of inclusion, compassion and acceptance.

“I value all people and do my best to support and elevate LGBTQ+ individuals. This has been my practice in my professional life as an HR leader, in my personal life, and in my campaign, surrounding myself with diverse staff, including LGBTQ+ people.

“As a Black man who grew up in the south, in segregated schools, I know a little about being treated by others as ‘less than.’ It would break my heart if those I have elevated and now have come to depend on thought I saw them as ‘less than.’

“I agree with my opponent that hate has no place in the 47th District. If my opponent would only have picked up the phone and had a conversation with me, it all would have been cleared up. Using hate and hateful accusations to divide us to score political points in a campaign has to stop. The 47th District deserves better than this.”

In response to Boyce’s statement, Kauffman’s campaign spokesperson Michael Fertakis emailed the following responses to the Kent Reporter.

“We sent out that information because voters have the right to know the values of the people who are seeking their votes and who is supporting them, especially politicians like Bill Boyce who has a strong history of taking money from special interests and then doing exactly what they want once elected,” Fertakis said.

“Bill Boyce can say he doesn’t share the values of the Family Policy Institute of Washington all he wants but they, and other anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ extremists very clearly believe he does.”

Fertakis said Boyce’s history of taking money from special interests includes his role as a Kent City Council member with apartment developers in Kent who donated to his campaigns.

“Boyce has a past of taking money from special interests, then doing their bidding in public office,” Fertakis said. “Boyce has taken money from developers, and then given them tax breaks, sweetheart deals for public property, voted down developer impact fees that would fund local schools and even illegally sold them a city park.

“Now those same developers are exploiting a campaign finance loophole to circumvent contribution limits and dump tens of thousands of dollars into his campaign for more special treatment.”

Fertakis referenced several council votes in favor of developers, including a decision in 2017 to give a city property tax break for the large Ethos Community apartment project along West Meeker Street as part of a deal to sell the city-owned Riverbend Golf Complex par 3 property to Auburn-based FNW, Inc./Landmark Development Group for $10.5 million.

Boyce has raised $399,476 for his Senate campaign, including about $181,000 combined from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee and the House Republican Organizational Committee, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Several real estate developers are large contributors to those groups, including John Goodman and George Petrie of Seattle-based Goodman Real Estate. That company owns three apartment complexes in Kent and is turning the former Hawthorne Suites Hotel in apartments.

Kauffman has raised $180,943, including $70,000 from the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign. The largest contributors to that group are legislators with surplus funds from their campaigns, including Sen. Karen Keiser, of Des Moines, and Sen. Mona Das, of Kent.

Das currently holds the 47th District seat but decided not to see reelection. She defeated Auburn Republican Joe Fain four years ago in a tight race.

Family Policy Institute details

Family Policy Institute of Washington is a nonprofit Christian educational institute defending family, marriage, life, religious freedom, parental rights and Christian social justice in Washington state, according to its website.

In the iVoterGuide on its website the group posts a thumbs up symbol for candidates it supports and a meter about whether a candidate is a conservative, leans conservative, verified liberal, liberal or leans liberal.

Boyce is listed with a thumbs up and a conservative label. Kauffman is given a liberal label. The group has a questionnaire for candidates to fill out. Boyce and Kauffman did not fill out a questionnaire.

The Family Policy Institute explains on its website that it has other ways to evaluate a candidate if they do not fill out a survey.

“iVoterGuide looks at much more information than the questionnaire alone,” according to the website. “We research contributions to and from candidates, endorsements, voting and judicial records (where applicable), and thoroughly investigate candidates’ websites and social media accounts. If we are not able to find enough information to evaluate a candidate with confidence, they receive an ‘Insufficient Information’ rating.”

iVoterGuide is affiliated with American Family Association Action (AFA Action), a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy, according to its website. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association (AFA).

The group only supports Republicans, according to its thumbs up endorsements. That list includes Tiffany Smiley over incumbent Patty Murray in the U.S. Senate race; Matt Larkin over incumbent Kim Schrier in the 8th Congressional District; and Doug Basler over incumbent Adam Smith in the 9th Congressional District.

Family Policy Institute also recommends Kyle Lyebyedyev, R-Covington, over Debra Entenman, D-Kent, in the 47th District State Representative Position 1 race. The group made no recommendation in the 47th District State Representative Position 2 race between Democrats Shukri Olow, of Kent, and Chris Stearns, of Auburn.

King County Elections mails ballots Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 general election.