Vasquez, Stanton Mount Their Campaigns With Full War Chests

Orange County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who has only token opposition in the June 7 election, reported Tuesday that he has raised more than $400,000 for his campaign.

A mandatory financial-disclosure statement filed Tuesday shows that Vasquez has accepted contributions totaling $403,251 since he was appointed to his seat last April by Gov. George Deukmejian.

Since Jan. 1, the 33-year-old Vasquez has raised about $132,000, most of it through a fund-raiser that Deukmejian attended.

“I think that it’s a commentary on the kind of leadership that one has provided,” Vasquez said. “It’s a thumbs-up on the job we’ve been doing.”

The only candidate who registered in time to run in the June election against Vasquez in the 3rd Supervisorial District is Sam Porter, a director of the Santa Ana Mountains Water District. Porter, who lives in Trabuco Canyon, reported a total of $7,459 in campaign contributions, all of it from his own pocket and all of it already spent.

First District Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, the only other board member facing an election this year, reported Tuesday that he had raised $500 since Jan. 1, when his last financial disclosure statement was filed. But as of Dec. 31, Stanton reported, he had $304,000 in his campaign bank.

Ron May, a high school teacher and Santa Ana city councilman, is the only candidate registered to run against Stanton. His financial statement Tuesday reported a total of $5,250 raised.

Although the two incumbents enjoy huge financial advantages, they have been spending their money slowly, even though their races are off and running. To some extent, the money they have collected may already have done its job by scaring off other potential candidates.

Vasquez has spent about $26,000 since January, most of it for fund-raisers to raise more money. He has also hired nationally known pollster Gary Lawrence, who has done work for the White House, to conduct a survey in his district.

Stanton, 50, has spent about $20,000 so far this year, mainly for a mailing to voters in his district.

Supervisor Don R. Roth, who won Orange County’s most expensive supervisorial race ever, had raised about $263,000 at this point, according to county records.

Roth, Anaheim’s mayor at the time, went on to spend a total of $659,418 in his narrow victory over Orange Mayor Jim Beam in the 1986 general election.