A couple months before Brad Toft filed to run for a crucial state Senate seat, he pressed officials to seal records from a past court case.

In a signed letter, Toft seemed to suggest that he wasn't the same person cited in the court files, saying that he shared a name with one of the parties but arguing that "the specific identity of the defendant is unclear." He wanted the records blocked from public inspection, declaring that the files might do damage to his reputation.

Toft acknowledged to The Associated Press that he was the defendant in the lawsuit tied to a contract dispute. He says he was simply exploring whether an old judgment could be vacated.

Toft is the Republican hopeful in a district covering territory in eastern King County. It is a key Senate race that will shape the balance of power in the Legislature.