Medical Groups Beat Donor-Limit Deadline, Give Heavily to Tucker

An infusion of cash from California’s medical Establishment before new campaign contribution limits went into effect has given Democrat Curtis R. Tucker Jr. a huge lead in fund raising in the race for the 50th Assembly District seat.

Tucker’s campaign contribution report, received Thursday by the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office, shows that he raised $56,099 in cash and in-kind contributions by Christmas Eve, the close of the reporting period.

Two of the other four candidates in the contest for a special election Feb. 7 reported that they had not reached the $1,000 threshold for filing a contribution statement. The remaining two candidates have not filed statements.

Tucker’s largest contribution, $28,000, came from the campaign treasury of his father, Assemblyman Curtis R. Tucker, who died of cancer Oct. 9. The money was transferred Oct. 6 to the son’s campaign committee, which was set up in late September.

Political action committees representing doctors provided $26,599 in cash and in-kind assistance to the younger Tucker during December.

The California Medical Assn. gave $19,000 on Dec. 23, four days before Tucker, a legislative aide, officially became a candidate. The political arm of the Los Angeles County Medical Assn. also contributed $7,599 last month for printing a mailer soliciting other contributions from doctors.

Under provisions of Proposition 73, which took effect Jan. 1, broad-based political committees such as the medical association can contribute no more than $5,000 to a state or local candidate per fiscal year. Smaller political committees are restricted to $2,500, and individuals are limited to $1,000.

The special election campaign is the first legislative contest in the state to be governed by the new campaign restrictions.

Al Pross, executive director of the California Medical Assn. political action committee, said in a telephone interview from San Francisco that the organization wanted to make its donations before the new contribution limits took effect. “We were certainly aware that with Proposition 73 taking effect, we would have been limited after Jan. 1 to a $5,000 contribution,” he said.

Pross said he discussed the race with Tucker’s campaign consultant, Parke Skelton, and concluded that Tucker needed the money for polling, printing, mailing and other campaign activities.

“It was very important in December for Curtis Jr. to get out of the chute and spend money early. Others might not be as anxious to jump in if one of the candidates was out of the chute and was actively campaigning,” he said.

Three prominent officeholders--Inglewood Mayor Edward Vincent, Inglewood City Councilman Daniel Tabor and Los Angeles City Councilman Robert Farrell--considered running but did not file.

The special election contest in the solidly Democratic district--which includes Inglewood, Westchester, El Segundo, Lennox and parts of South Central Los Angeles--is being closely watched in Sacramento.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) was reelected to the Legislature’s most powerful post last month with a bare 40-vote majority. Brown has made no secret that he wants the younger Tucker to be elected as soon as possible to bolster his supporters.

The medical PAC, traditionally among the largest political donors in the state, had often made large contributions to the senior Tucker’s campaigns. Pross said his group was closer to Tucker, who was chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, than to any other legislator. Pross also said Tucker had close ties to several local doctors, including David Horner, head of the medical association’s political committee in Los Angeles.

Skelton, campaign consultant to both Tuckers, said the assemblyman had asked Horner “literally on his death bed to do what he could for Curtis Jr.”

The resulting financial help confirmed Tucker’s status as the candidate to beat in the month before the election.

To avoid potential questions about campaign finances, Skelton said Tucker spent all of the money raised in 1988 before the New Year, then established a new campaign committee on Tuesday to handle funds raised in 1989.

“We expect to have a lot of confusion” about the new restrictions, Skelton said. “We’ve got to run the campaign, and we can’t wait for the process to be crystal clear.”

Democrat Lois Hill-Hale, an Inglewood school board member, and Republican businessman Michael Davis filed forms with county election officials stating that they had not raised or spent the minimum $1,000 required to file a campaign statement.

Davis said he expects to have trouble raising money. “I don’t think the Republicans are going to bend over backwards to ensure adequate financing the way I think Brown will for Tucker Jr.,” he said.

Democrat Roderick Wright said he did not raise any money during the period ending Dec. 24 and had not filed any reports. He said the short time available before the election “makes it real difficult” to do grass-roots organizing. “I think it is unfair that we are having an election for something as important as this in five weeks,” Wright said.

Democrat Carl McGill did not file a campaign report and could not be reached for comment.