Challengers Lag Far Behind Incumbents in Fund-Raising

In the first half of this year, the eight Assembly members who represent the San Gabriel Valley raised more than $1.3 million for their reelection campaigns, while their opponents were collecting $30,000.

Fund-raising for two of the three Senate seats at stake in the San Gabriel Valley on Nov. 8 has been nearly as lopsided, with the incumbents collecting more than $400,000 in the first half of this year while their opponents raised less than $60,000. And in the area’s third Senate race, the incumbent, H.L. (Bill) Richardson (R-Glendora), is retiring, but a Republican assemblyman who is favored to win the seat has raised 10 times as much as his Democratic rival, who does not hold public office.

The financial imbalance that faces challengers trying to unseat incumbents this fall is discouraging, said Wayne Wendt, a 33-year-old computer operator from Covina who is making his second try for election in the 62nd Assembly District.

At the end of June, Assemblyman William H. (Bill) Lancaster (R-Covina) had more than $153,000 in his campaign fund. Wendt, the Democratic nominee, had $354.

Wendt said the financial disparity distorts the political process, robbing voters of the chance to hear from both sides in an election. Wendt said it costs $20,000 for a single mailing to voters in his district, and he is a long way from accumulating enough money for that. Wendt said he has appealed to party leaders for financial help, but the only response so far has been a small donation to pay the fee for filing as a candidate. Democratic leaders don’t pay much attention to his race, Wendt said, because Republicans have the advantage in party registration, and Lancaster is an amiable, non-threatening politician with friends in both parties.

Although he has held two local fund-raisers, Wendt said the events didn’t produce any money. Using lists of local contributors to recent Democratic campaigns for the U.S. Senate and governorship, Wendt said, he invited 1,000 people to two fund-raising dinners, but neither event drew more than 10 people outside his own circle of family and friends.

While Wendt struggles to raise funds for his long-shot campaign, the money has rolled in for Lancaster with seemingly little effort. Lancaster said he raises money with an annual golf tournament and by soliciting memberships in a support group, the Friends of Bill Lancaster, whose 125 members paid $150 this year to attend a luncheon and reception.

But for Lancaster and other legislators, most of the large contributions come not from district voters, but from corporations, unions and industry lobbyists in Sacramento.

Lancaster’s largest donation this year came from the Assn. of California Insurance Companies, which gave $9,000. Lancaster sits on the Assembly Finance and Insurance Committee.

Like many lobbying groups, the insurance association donates to Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, with the only common thread among the recipients being that they hold office.

The insurance association has given $70,000 to San Gabriel Valley legislators so far this year. The donations include $14,000 to Republican leader Pat Nolan (R-Glendale), $6,000 to Richard L. Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), $4,000 to Charles M. Calderon (D-Alhambra), $2,000 to Sally Tanner (D-El Monte) and $1,500 to Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles).

State senators whose districts serve the valley and who received money from the insurance group include Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier), who got $10,000; William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights), $8,000; Don Rogers (R-Bakersfield), $6,500; Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale), $6,000, and Art Torres (D-Los Angeles), $1,000. Even Sen. Richardson, who announced last year that he would retire, got $2,000. And Assemblyman Bill Leonard (R-Redlands), who is running for Richardson’s seat in the Senate, received $6,000.

Richardson joked that he is “so charming” that lobbyists and friends are still donating money to his campaign even though he announced last October that he would not run again. In the first six months of this year, the Richardson for Senate Committee raised more than $27,000.

Richardson said his fund-raising efforts have slowed down but not stopped because he uses his campaign fund for general political activities, not just election-year expenses. Although he is retiring from the Senate this year, Richardson said, “I am not retiring from politics.”

Few Restrictions

Besides, he said, he plans to donate surplus money to political allies so that by the time he leaves office, his campaign fund will be broke.

Legislators use campaign funds to pay for travel that is not covered by the state, to buy political advice, be host to constituents at dinners and sporting events, make charitable donations and pay all sorts of other expenses. State law places few restrictions on expenditures, specifying only that campaign funds should be used for political, legislative or governmental purposes and not just the candidate’s benefit.

In the first six months of this year, the valley’s eight Assembly members and seven state senators spent nearly $2 million in campaign money, even though none of them had a contested primary. In the past, legislators have routinely carried surplus funds from one election to another, but Proposition 73, an initiative passed by voters in June, will end that practice. Money that is not spent this year cannot be used in future election campaigns. Lawmakers are now waiting for guidelines from the state Fair Political Practices Commission to spell out what they can do with their surplus funds after Jan. 1.

Proposition 73 Limits

Starting in January, Proposition 73 also will limit campaign contributions and will prohibit transfer of funds from one candidate to another.

Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) said the proposition will have “a dramatic effect” on future elections but will not help candidates who are running against entrenched incumbents. In fact, he said, it should make such incumbents even more secure, reducing their need to accumulate large amounts of campaign cash.

Hill said his Assembly district, which stretches from Diamond Bar to Whittier, is one of the most safely Republican in the state, but he has been compelled to raise a large amount of money to protect himself against a last-minute campaign blitz by the Democratic Party. His most recent campaign statement shows he has nearly $230,000 on hand. His opponent, Terry Lee Perkins, a Walnut teacher who said she hopes to raise $10,000, had $2,692 on hand at the end of June.

The assemblyman said said he is “not worried” that Perkins will raise enough money on her own to mount a winning campaign. “The only way I can get defeated is if (Assembly Democratic leader) Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) comes in,” Hill said, adding that there have been cases where incumbents were ousted by heavy media campaigns financed by funds poured into a district just before an election.

Will Bring ‘Honesty’

Hill said the transfer ban will reduce the power of legislative leaders and will force the parties to concentrate resources on competitive districts and open seats, instead of plotting campaign surprises.

“By prohibiting transfers, you really bring honesty into the system,” Hill said, pointing out that donors will be required to contribute directly to candidates instead of funneling money through political leaders.

But until the new restrictions become effective next year, challengers who hope to mount large-scale campaigns against incumbents will be dependent upon the willingness of Sacramento political leaders to transfer money.

Raise Own Money

Henry Velasco, who is running for the second time as the Republican nominee against Tanner in the 60th Assembly District, received more than $200,000 two years ago from Assembly Republican leader Nolan and came within 4,300 votes of winning. Velasco said he hopes for financial support from Nolan again this year, but first must raise money on his own to demonstrate community support.

In the first half of this year, Velasco raised only $8,439, while Tanner picked up $76,352.

Nolan has easily been the area’s top fund-raiser, collecting more than $600,000 in six months. Campbell has been the most successful fund-raiser among San Gabriel Valley senators, collecting $359,743, but he still has a $451,000 debt from an unsuccessful race for state controller in 1986.

STATE SENATE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS These are contributions and expenditures reported for the first six months of this year by state senators representing the San Gabriel Valley and their opponents in the Nov. 8 election. Contributions include money received as loans. Expenditures include cash loaned to others. Cash on hand includes money left over from fund-raising in prior years.

Candidate Contributions Expenditures 21st Senate District Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale) $57,610 $56,098 Louise C. Gelber, Democrat, Arcadia $52,968 $44,114 25th Senate District Bill Leonard, Republican, Redlands $206,189 $276,030 Sandra K. Hester, Democrat, Claremont $18,513 $35,719 31st Senate District William Campbell* (R-Hacienda Heights) $359,743 $360,704 Janice Lynn Graham, Democrat, Laguna Hills $4,270 $3,925

Cash on Candidate Hand 6/30 21st Senate District Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale) $204,125 Louise C. Gelber, Democrat, Arcadia $6,508 25th Senate District Bill Leonard, Republican, Redlands $10,268 Sandra K. Hester, Democrat, Claremont $40 31st Senate District William Campbell* (R-Hacienda Heights) $115,657 Janice Lynn Graham, Democrat, Laguna Hills $345

These are contributions and expenditures reported for the first six months of this year by state senators who are not on the ballot this year. Sen. H. L. (Bill) Richardson is retiring; the others hold four-year terms that run through 1990.

Cash on Candidate Contributions Expenditures Hand 6/30 16th Senate District Don Rogers (R-Bakersfield) $48,372 $19,536 $82,170 24th Senate District Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) $75,875 $85,330 $39,060 25th Senate District H. L. Richardson (R-Glendora)** $27,192 $72,618 $38,170 26th Senate District Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier) $181,225 $145,463 $134,017 34th Senate District Ruben S. Ayala (D-Chino) $15,550 $29,249 $157,845

Those who say they intend to raise less than $1,000 District 21 Michael W. Blumenthal, Peace and Freedom, Pasadena

Robert H. Scott, Libertarian, Pasadena

* Figures for Campbell are for his Senate campaign fund only. He also has a separate campaign fund from his 1986 race for state controller, which shows a debt of $451,000, including $182,950 borrowed from his Senate campaign fund. * * Figures for Richardson are for Senate campaign committee only. He also controls funds of Gun Owners of California and Law and Order campaign committees, which had a combined surplus on June 30 of more than $114,000.

Source: Secretary of State and Los Angeles, Kern County Registrar-Recorders

ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS These are campaign contributions and expenditures reported for the first six months of this year by Assembly members representing the San Gabriel Valley and their opponents in the Nov. 8 election. Contributions include money received as loans. Expenditures include cash loaned to others. Cash on hand includes money left over from fund-raising in previous years.

Cash on Candidate Contributions Expenditures Hand 6/30 41st Assembly District Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) $603,603 $390,388 $467,719 John Vollbrecht, Democrat, Los Angeles $2,507 $933 $1,875 42nd Assembly District Richard Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) $40,915 $40,067 $60,953 52nd Assembly District Frank Hill (R-Whittier) $154,285 $281,438 $229,938 Terry Lee Perkins, Democrat, Walnut $3,716 $917 $2,692 55th Assembly District Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles)** $195,901 $85,773 $72,396 Evelina Alarcon, Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles $2,969 $2,817 $58 59th Assembly District Charles M. Calderon (D-Alhambra) $123,892 $174,308 $18,310 60th Assembly District Sally Tanner (D-El Monte) $76,352 $91,797 $34,115 Henry J. Velasco, Republican, El Monte $8,439 $5,569 $11,290 62nd Assembly District William H. Lancaster (R-Covina) $65,145 $69,167 $153,114 Wayne N. Wendt, Democrat, Covina $4,977 $4,368 $384 65th Assembly District Charles Bader (R-Pomona) $84,233 $58,907 $222,779 David Chamberlain, Democrat, Chino $2,401 $1,652 $41

Those who say they intend to raise less than $1,000 * District 41: Curtis S. Helms, Libertarian, Pasadena

Ivan W. Kasimoff, Peace and Freedom, Altadena * District 42: Richard David Boyle, Democrat, Sierra Madre * District 55: William H. Wilson, Libertarian, Pasadena * District 59: Steven Pencall, Libertarian, Alhambra * District 60: David Argall, Libertarian, La Puente * District 62: Susan Polson, Libertarian, Pomona * District 65: Paul Gautreau, Libertarian, Pomona * *Figures for Polanco are for his Assembly campaign committee. He also controls a committee that has raised more than $2 million for an insurance initiative

Source: Los Angeles and San Bernardino County Registrar-Recorders