Top 10 Donors to Legislative Campaigns Favor Incumbents

The top 10 donors to legislative campaigns, led by doctors for the fifth election cycle in a row, gave more than $6.3 million in 1987-88, almost all of it to incumbents, a citizens group said Wednesday.

California Common Cause said the 10 biggest contributors gave $6,373,871 to legislative candidates between Jan. 1, 1987, and Dec. 31, 1988, generally considered the fund-raising period, or cycle, for the 1988 elections. That represents an increase of $593,677 over the 1985-86 period and $2,398,867 over 1983-84, the group’s report said.

Ninety-two percent of the 1987-88 money went to incumbents, although some funds were funneled by incumbents to challengers in their parties, the group said.

Legislative candidates spent $76.2 million altogether in 1987-88, according to the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

California Medical Political Action Committee, the campaign arm of the powerful California Medical Assn., has led all donors over the last two years by giving $1,302,562 to legislative candidates.

Over the last 10 years, California Medical PAC has given nearly $4.6 million to legislative candidates, far more than the second-place contributor, the California Trial Lawyers Assn., which gave $2.8 million in that period.

Top givers in 1987-88 included the trial lawyers, $1.06 million; California Real Estate Political Action Committee, $718,237; California Teachers Assn., $605,357; California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., $515,136; California Beer & Wine Wholesalers Community Affairs Fund, $467,115; Atlantic Richfield Co., $428,180; California Dental Political Action Committee, $418,286; California Bankers Assn. Political Action Committee, $415,500, and Insurance Men’s Political Action Committee, $402,326.