🐘 Who’s funding these measures?

Tuesday, October 27

Good morning Seattle! Were you one of the 1.7K people in r/Seattle who felt cheated by the dry weather this month? Your luck is about to change.

First Up

Multiple $100 bills stacked on top of each other

Renton, WA political donor and hedge fund manager Brian Heywood has spent $11 million on conservative policy proposals in Washington. (Jackal Pan via Getty Images)

Who’s the Guy Bankrolling Washington’s Conservative Ballot Initiatives?

Brian Heywood, the multimillionaire and hedge fund manager behind the right-wing Let’s Go Washington PAC, is fighting against what he calls an “uber progressive” shift in the state’s politics. He’s part of a growing trend of wealthy donors across the spectrum who advance their political goals by paying for ballot initiatives, rather than just funding candidates. [The New York Times]

The true Hollywood Heywood story: Born in Arizona and currently based in Redmond, Heywood describes himself as an “economic refugee” from California. He and his hedge fund, Taiyo Pacific Partners, moved north in 2010 in search of a tax haven. Since forming Let’s Go Washington in 2022, he’s spent $11 million on conservative policy proposals [Politico, The New York Times]
Will the ghosts of 2024 haunt him? Let’s Go Washington sent six measures to the legislature two years ago. Half were sent to the ballot and shot down by voters while lawmakers adopted the other half outright, including a ban on any future local or state income tax, expanded police vehicle authority, and a “parents’ bill of rights.” However, that measure was “gutted” a year later according to Heywood, and the PAC was also fined $20,000 in 2024 for failing to report signature-gathering expenditures. One of Heywood’s goals for the 2026 election is to restore the original list of parental rights he previously funded, in addition to repealing the millionaire income tax and banning trans girls from K-12 sports. [The New York Times]
What you need to know about Initiatives 001, 638, and 645: We spoke with Pacific Northwest bureau chief at The New York Times, Anna Griffin, about her profile of Heywood, as well as lawyer and School Board Member-At-Large Joe Mizrahi about the impact he sees these initiatives having in schools. Listen to today’s podcast episode for more. [City Cast]

PODCAST

Who Is Brian Heywood? Plus, a Philosopher’s Approach to AI Limits

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Dignity for Workers

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What Seattle’s Talking About

💰 Campaign spending cap lifted: Regulators suspended restrictions on big-dollar political donations in the eleventh hour, drawing concerns from both sides of the aisle. Last-minute spending could be crucial to the Supreme Court races and other state election campaigns. The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission claims the decision was made out of fear that federal courts will deem the spending cap unconstitutional. [Seattle Times]

👀 DOJ casts eyes on King County: The Trump administration plans to send over 1,000 election monitors to polling stations nationwide on Election Day, and King County is on the list. Drop boxes are available 24 hours a day for those who would rather avoid the polls on November 3rd. [Washington State Standard]

A ballot drop box is seen at the King County Elections headquarters on October 23, 2026 in Renton, Washington.

Ballot drop boxes are open 24 hours a day in King County. (David Ryder / Stringer via Getty Images)

📈 Early voter turnout exceeds 700k: Despite concerns over USPS snags and federal government threats, voters are still showing up early — and the vast majority were returned to drop boxes instead of by mail. Mail-in voters are encouraged to send in their ballots at least a week before Election Day, which means you’ve missed your window. Use the drop box and make the Secretary of State happy. [Washington State Standard]

Melt the Freeze

OMG, it’s our new weekly section of the newsletter dedicated to where, when, and how you can get out into the city and meet new people! This time of year, “melting” might be a little too optimistic, but we can at least try thawing out that freeze.

Spooky stories with strangers: For all you history buffs, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting a storytelling event tonight! It’s called Listening in the Dark: Stories of American Spiritualism.
It’s trivia night, baby: Wednesdays are kind of perfect for trivia, and there are so many around town, I’m sure one is happening in your neighborhood. Go with your friends or show up solo and ask to join someone else’s group!
Thursdays are for getting creative: For the daytime crowd, head over to the Burke Museum for Spooky Science activities! After 5 pm, there’s a Film Club meetup in Ballard. Beginners are welcome and encouraged.
Looking for a date? Rumor has it that run clubs are the new dating apps, and while there’s a ton to choose from, this meetup to run around Lake Union on Friday morning sounds pretty nice. Then later that night, Rhein Haus is hosting a Halloween party for single people only! Apparently there’s some chaos involved, which feels appropriate given the holiday.
Spend your Saturday crawling through pubs: From the folks who bring you SantaCon, it’s HalloweenCon! If you spend 12 hours bar crawling in a costume, you’re bound to make some friends. And while we’re here, just a friendly reminder to drink water between each round and get home safely.