County : Winterbottom Outspent Branch on Campaign

Greg Winterbottom spent $19,176 in his unsuccessful attempt last November to beat incumbent Lee Branch in the race for county recorder. Branch spent only $8,503.

“I think it helped, of course, to have name recognition,” Branch said, meaning that he did not have to spend funds to get his name known by the voters.

He said he received a “lot of good support from the industry that deals most directly with us on a day-to-day basis and realizes the services they receive and the technology we are providing.”

Realtors and escrow agents were key contributors to his campaign and deal frequently with the recorder’s office.

Winterbottom, who reported ending the campaign with $6,494 in debts, could not be reached for comment.

He received 165,468 votes, or 32.7%, to Branch’s 340,329 votes, or 67.2%.

Branch spent only $1,000 through the June primary, in which he failed to get 50% plus one vote in the race against Winterbottom and Larry Bales, who spent $2,710 in the primary.

Branch spent most of his money in the runoff race.

Winterbottom spent $10,954 on the primary and the remaining $8,222 on the primary.

Bruce Nestande, meanwhile, reported spending $434,547 in his unsuccessful attempt to beat Secretary of State March Fong Eu.

Nestande got only 26% of the vote, or 1.8 million votes, to 69%, or 4.8 million votes, for Eu.

Eu’s campaign contribution reports were not available in Orange County.

Nestande was an Orange County supervisor at the time of the campaign but resigned from that office last week.