GOP Senate hopeful latest to endorse legal pot

The campaign to legalize and tax marijuana for adults in Washington state is rolling, with more than $1 million in new contributions reported since last week and a surprising endorsement from Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Michael Baumgartner.

The money is mostly from retired Progressive Insurance founder Peter Lewis and means Initiative 502's backers have raised nearly $4.1 million over the course of the campaign, with $1.2 million left to spend. Alison Holcomb, campaign manager for New Approach Washington, says her group is planning a broader television campaign.

Meanwhile, Baumgartner's decision to endorse the initiative Wednesday gave the campaign one of its highest-profile Republican supporters yet. Baumgartner is running a longshot bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who came out against the initiative Wednesday afternoon.