You’ve been hearing plenty about the big names on your ballot, but there are many people influencing what shows up on that ballot whom you may have never heard of. Unions, tech entrepreneurs, oil companies and industry associations have given millions of dollars to candidates and campaigns.

On this week’s Sound Politics, we look at who is spending big on the upcoming election, what they want, and which big donors are sitting this year out.

Guest:

Paul Queary, editor and publisher of The Washington Observer

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.