Killea Race County’s Most Expensive in ’86

Assemblywoman Lucy Killea and her opponent spent a combined $565,399 on the campaign for the 78th Assembly District seat won by Killea in November, making it the most costly legislative race in San Diego County last year, campaign finance reports filed this week show.

Killea, a San Diego Democrat, spent $367,638 defending the seat against Republican Earl Cantos, who spent $197,761 in his first political campaign. Assembly Republicans hoping to put Cantos in the Legislature spent an additional $290,380 on his behalf.

In the period covered by the most recent reports--Oct. 19 to Dec. 31--Killea raised $29,790 and spent $50,154. Cantos raised $212,611--most of it in unspecified campaign services from Assembly Republicans--and spent $53,642.

The Killea-Cantos race was easily the most expensive of the eight Assembly and two Senate races in San Diego County last year. It was also the only one in which the incumbent was not the overwhelming favorite from the beginning.

All 10 members of San Diego’s legislative delegation who faced election were returned to office in November.

Two state senators who were easily reelected--Oceanside Republican William Craven and Chula Vista Democrat Wadie Deddeh--ended the year with huge campaign war chests, according to the reports filed with the California secretary of state’s office.

Craven raised $105,649 and ended the year with a surplus of $298,555. Deddeh raised $292,650 and ended the year with $156,189 unspent.

Deddeh would have had an even greater surplus had he not contributed $73,300 to other politicians’ campaigns for state and local office. He contributed $5,000 each to Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, Board of Equalization member Paul Carpenter and unsuccessful Senate candidates Lou Papan and Jim Young. Deddeh also gave $10,000 to a campaign fund controlled by Senate Majority Leader David Roberti (D-Los Angeles).

Another big contributor was Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista). Peace gave $40,500 to four losing Assembly candidates and an additional $8,000 to the successful candidacy of Democratic Assemblywoman Delaine Eastin, who now represents parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. Peace also gave $32,500 to various Democratic Assembly members’ campaign committees through his California Leadership Fund.

Among the other legislators from San Diego, Sen. Jim Ellis (R-San Diego) ended the year with a surplus of $45,468. Assemblyman Robert Frazee (R-Carlsbad) had $26,789 in the bank; Assemblywoman Sunny Mojonnier (R-Encinitas), $21,283; Assemblyman Bill Bradley (R-San Marcos), $17,112; Peace, $4,165; Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego), $3,663; Killea, $3,547, and Assemblyman Pete Chacon (D-San Diego), $1,703. Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), whose district includes part of North San Diego County, ended the year with $196,951 in the bank.

Combined, the members of the San Diego delegation raised $1.84 million in 1986 and spent $1.85 million.

Killea led the pack with $367,505 in funds raised. Among the other leaders were Deddeh with $292,650, Stirling with $239,975, Peace with $224,243 and Bergeson with $202,140.