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On November 2nd, Olympia residents will elect five people to their City Council. In the successful candidates’ future: debate and discussion over issues the city has been wrestling with for years (that the COVID-19 pandemic has made even more acute): affordable housing, homelessness, racism, income inequality, struggling small businesses, communications, public perception of the city’s downtown, lack of mental health services, public safety and policing – the list goes on and on and on. The 10 people running for the five seats up for election on Nov. 2 likely are the most diverse in the city’s history: Four of them…

Position 6 WATCH: League of Women Voters candidate forum Corey Gauny Corey Gauny Raised: $36,216  Spent: $23,032 Full list of contributors. Campaign information: Website, Facebook The candidate did not provide an explanation about why he did not respond to The Tribune’s questionnaire. Dontae Payne Raised: $29,146 Spent: $19,475 Full list of contributors. Campaign information: Website, Facebook In your last conversation with a homeless person, what did you talk about? What did you learn? How will that influence your actions on issues that come before the City Council? During my last conversation with a homeless person, we discussed the need for affordable housing and their emphasis on…

Position 5 WATCH: League of Women Voters candidate forum. Lisa Parshley Lisa Parshley Raised: $39,307 Spent: $28,864 Campaign information: Website, Facebook Full list of contributions and expenditures. In your last conversation with a homeless person, what did you talk about? What did you learn? How will that influence your actions on issues that come before the City Council? We discussed the care of his cat who had been hit by a car. He has been living in his car and couch surfing at his brother’s house when possible. His cat was severely injured and required a hind limb amputation and he had no…

Position 7 WATCH: League of Women Voters candidate forum  Jim Cooper Jim Cooper Raised: $36,159.  Spent: $23,621 Full list of contributions and expenditures. Campaign information: Website, Facebook The candidate did not respond to our questionnaire and gave no explanation. Spence Weigand Spence Weigand Raised: $82,770  Full list of contributions and expenditures: Spent: $58,033 Full list of contributions and expenditures: Campaign information: Website, Facebook The candidate provided this explanation about why he did not respond to The Tribune’s questionnaire: "Given the hectic nature of my business, combined with the host of public forums, Zoom meetings, and organizational questionnaires that I have and have had on my plate, I am…

Postion 2 WATCH: League of Women Voters candidate forum Yến Huỳnh Raised: $34,113 Spent: $17,215 Full list of contributions and expenditures. Campaign information: Website, Facebook In your last conversation with a homeless person, what did you talk about? What did you learn? How will that influence your actions on issues that come before the City Council? In my last conversation with a homeless person, they shared with me how frustrated they were that they had a successful career and wonderful life before unfortunate circumstances suddenly meant that they were unable to afford housing. Every experience I have heard is different and these collective…

The 10 candidates vying for five Olympia City Council seats in this November’s general election have raised an eye-popping total of $329,670 they hope will carry them into office. Add in the bucks raised by the four who lost primary elections, and the grand total is just a bit more than $370,973 so far. The previous record was $176,659 in 2009 when four seats were up. The most expensive race to date and likely the most closely watched is between incumbent Jim Cooper and political newcomer Spence Weigand. Between the two of them, they’ve raised $117,819 and spent $81,652. Weigand…