GOP Amassing Record Funds for Campaign

Led by President Reagan and Vice President George Bush, Administration officials have been crisscrossing the country in a concerted campaign that has raised record amounts of money for Republican candidates in the Nov. 4 elections.

With Reagan and Bush alone raising almost $50 million during the last year, the GOP has overwhelmed Democrats in party fund-raising by a margin of better than 5 to 1 and in overall party and candidates’ fund-raising by a little better than 2 to 1.

Other Administration officials, goaded into action by Donald T. Regan, White House chief of staff, have helped bring in many more millions for the party and GOP candidates than have Reagan and Bush.

The latest Federal Election Commission reports for the 1985-86 election cycle show that the Republican Party has amassed $186.1 million compared to only $35.1 million by the Democratic Party. GOP candidates have raised $139 million compared to $123 million by Democratic candidates.

The President, according to Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., his assistant for political affairs, has raised $25 million in the last year--$12 million at two $1,000-a-plate events here and $13 million in appearances around the country.

In most of the states where he has campaigned for candidates, Reagan has set new fund-raising records. “I don’t think any President has ever raised as much money,” Daniels said. “He set records in 11 of the first 13 states where he made fund-raising appearances.”

This is one of Reagan’s last chances as President to use his own extraordinary popularity to help Republican candidates, and Daniels says Reagan is determined to make the most of it.

One Day a Week

The President will wind up his three-week California vacation next Sunday with an appearance at a fund-raiser in behalf of Gov. George Deukmejian and Rep. Ed Zschau, the Republican nominee opposing Sen. Alan Cranston’s reelection bid, and after that he will spend at least one day a week campaigning until election day, Daniels said.

In the Senate, with 22 Republican seats and only 12 Democratic seats coming before the voters and the GOP now holding a 53-47 margin, the Administration has launched what Daniels called “an all-out effort” to retain control of the chamber.

Reagan’s campaign schedule until election day has already been set by Regan. The chief of staff and former Wall Street executive--faulted by critics earlier for bringing a brusque, corporate-style of management to the White House that paid scant attention to politics--has taken the lead in marshaling Administration resources for the election.

“You can say what you want to about the corporate mode,” Daniels said, “but it’s worked. Don Regan had dates for the President’s schedule firmed up by early August.”

Not Doing Enough

Regan took the initiative in generating more political activity by Administration officials after Daniels went to him several weeks ago and reported that some officials were not doing enough for the Republican effort despite the importance the President has attached to the election.

“I told him we needed more help,” said Daniels, who had expressed concern that Republicans must work harder or run the risk of losing control of the Senate and weakening the hand of the President in his final two years in office.

At a subsequent breakfast session with Cabinet officers, Regan noted that he had added additional fund-raising appearances to his own schedule and prodded them to increase their campaign activity.

“Now everybody’s doing just fine,” Daniels said.

Needs No Prodding

Bush, who has raised almost as much money as the President and is possibly the most-traveled vice president in history, has needed no prodding. He has visited 44 states on behalf of GOP candidates since May, 1985, and has raised more than $18 million for their campaigns since then.

In addition, his own political action committee, the Fund for America’s Future, has raised $8,744,000 and distributed more than a million dollars to the GOP and 586 Republican candidates at all levels of government.

By the end of 1986, he will have made 137 appearances this year in behalf of GOP candidates, 72 of them scheduled for after Labor Day.

Although no exact figures are available for campaign appearances by other Administration representatives, party and Administration officials say Regan and three Cabinet officers--Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III, Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole and Education Secretary William J. Bennett--are the biggest draws at Republican rallies.

Three Lead Campaigners

Dole, Bennett and U.S. Trade Representative Clayton K. Yeutter have made more campaign appearances sponsored by the Republican National Committee than any other high Administration officials. But Republican officials point out that the national committee figures represent only a part of the total number of campaign appearances because top officeholders frequently schedule their own appearances without going through the national committee.

Altogether this year the national committee has sponsored 56 appearances by 10 Cabinet officers and 20 appearances by other officials or Reagan advisers.