Gray Davis Way Out Front in War Chest for Controller Race

Democratic Assemblyman Gray Davis of Los Angeles, running to succeed retiring state Controller Ken Cory, has nearly $1.1 million in his campaign treasury, more than five times the combined total of his two primary opponents, campaign finance statements showed Tuesday.

The report filed by Davis, a two-term legislator who earlier served as chief of staff for former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., was among the first batch of campaign contribution and expenditure statements filed with the secretary of state’s office here.

Other statements showed that, as expected, the two busiest fund-raisers in recent months have been Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) and Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles).

Brown, hoping to maintain the Democrats’ current 46-33 majority in the Assembly and keep the lower house’s one vacant seat in the Democratic column, reported that his two main campaign committees raised $342,630 during the period covered by the reports--Jan. 1 to March 17. After spending nearly as much, Brown was left with a treasury of just over $1 million, most of it raised last year.

Roberti’s Task

Roberti, trying to save two open Democratic seats and hold on to the Democrats’ 26-14 vote advantage in the Senate, reported raising $342,250 since Jan. 1. That left him with just under $1 million in the bank after expenditures, the largest of which was a $25,000 contribution to the campaign of Assemblyman Louis J. Papan (D-Millbrae), who is running for one of the two open Senate seats.

Republican legislative leaders trailed substantially behind Roberti and Brown in fund raising. An aide to Assembly Republican Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale said Nolan’s two major committees have raised $331,481 since Jan. 1. Nolan’s committees now have a bank balance of $642,602, counting funds raised in 1985.

Senate Republican Leader James W. Nielsen of Rohnert Park reported raising $127,924 through two Senate committees. The committees had a balance of $167,462 as of March 17.

A substantial amount of the money raised by legislators, as well as other candidates for statewide office, came from lobbying groups, Civil Service employee unions, and others with an interest in influencing legislation in the Assembly and Senate or business conducted by state agencies.

Controller’s Race

Extraordinary interest has developed in the controller’s race because it is the only major statewide office on the ballot this year without an incumbent.

Davis, one of three Democrats who jumped into the controller’s race after Cory announced his retirement earlier this month, has been building his campaign war chest since 1982, drawing heavily from his wealthy Westside-San Fernando Valley district.

Another candidate in the Democratic primary, Assemblyman Alister McAlister of Fremont, chairman of the Assembly Finance and Insurance Committee, reported $107,957 in his treasury after expenses. He has raised only $1,250 since the beginning of the year.

The third Democrat, state Sen. John Garamendi of Walnut Grove, reported $86,669 in the bank. He said an additional $180,000 is promised in the form of pledges from wealthy contributors.

On the Republican side, state Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) reported raising $55,050, leaving him with $115,050.

Sebastiani Surplus

Assemblyman Don A. Sebastiani (R-Sonoma), who began campaigning even before Cory announced that he was retiring, reported raising $183,044 but spending most of that, leaving him with a surplus of $81,214.

Reports were not available for two other Republicans in the GOP primary for controller--Dan Stanford, former head of the Fair Political Practices Commission, and Marz Garcia, a former state senator.

In another key state race, Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, unopposed in the June primary, reported through an aide that he has taken in $239,665 in contributions since Jan. 1, leaving him with cash in the bank of $516,839.

State. Sen. H. L. Richardson of Glendora, one of two Republicans in the party’s June primary for lieutenant governor, reported receiving $225,442 in contributions. He was left with $102,759 after expenditures.

His opponent, Mike Curb, the former lieutenant governor trying to make a comeback, said through a campaign spokesman that he has spent $258,000 since Jan. 1, about $160,000 of that when he announced his candidacy with a series of television commercials. Curb, who was actively raising money last year, has $212,920 in his war chest, the aide said.