2 Treasurer Candidates Raise More Than $1 Million

The two leading candidates for the office of state treasurer, Republican incumbent Thomas W. Hayes and Democratic challenger Kathleen Brown, raised a total of more than $1 million in campaign funds during the first half of 1989, contribution reports showed Tuesday.

In another statewide race, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner collected $616,000 in his quest to become attorney general--nearly four times the $156,000 raised by his closest opponent, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Arlo Smith, the reports showed. Both are Democrats.

The campaign for the newly elective post of insurance commissioner got off to a modest start with Democratic television commentator Bill Press raising $104,000 and Roxani Gillespie, the current appointed insurance commissioner, collecting $75,000.

For the most part, fund-raising reports filed this week indicated that the campaign restrictions of Proposition 73 have done little to reduce the ability of politicians to raise money. Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), for example, reported collecting $696,000 during the first half of the year.

The pace of fund-raising in the treasurer’s race demonstrates that the 1990 campaign is certain to be a hard-fought contest for what was once considered a relatively minor state office.

Brown, sister of former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., raised $676,000 for her campaign during the six-month period--more than any candidate seeking a statewide office other than governor. But in an interview, Brown still portrayed her campaign as an uphill battle against Hayes.

“I still see my candidacy as being one of an underdog, given the fact there is someone sitting in that office,” she said. “I really am going to have a formidable challenge but I am working hard to equalize (Hayes’) advantage by raising enough money to run a very credible and viable campaign.”

Hayes, who was appointed treasurer last year by Gov. George Deukmejian, collected $383,000 during the same period for his first campaign for elective office. But a spokeswoman said Hayes is not worried about Brown’s early fund-raising edge.

“We will raise what it takes to get the message out there, to show the difference between the candidates,” said Donna Lucas, a spokeswoman for Hayes. “We’re happy with the amount of money that we’ve raised.”

Angela (Bay) Buchanan of Irvine, a second Republican candidate in the race, trails Hayes with contributions of $156,000.

In the attorney general campaign, Republican Daniel E. Lungren lags far behind both Democrats in fund-raising. Lungren, a former congressman from Long Beach whose appointment to the treasurer’s post was rejected by the Legislature before Hayes got the job, raised only $29,000 in his bid to become the state’s top law enforcement officer.

In the race for lieutenant governor, two Orange County Republican state senators, John Seymour and Marian Bergeson, each raised more than incumbent Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, who is seeking a third term.

Seymour, of Anaheim, reported $354,000 while Bergeson, of Newport Beach, raised $363,000. However, $225,000 of the sum Bergeson reported was actually money she raised before 1989 for her state Senate campaign and transferred this year into her lieutenant governor account.

McCarthy, a Democrat who was defeated in his attempt to oust U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson last year, has raised $222,000 for his reelection campaign.

In the state Senate, both President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) and Republican leader Ken Maddy of Fresno reported raising substantial sums. Roberti reported raising $308,000, while Maddy collected $353,000 during the first half of the year.

Times staff writer Clay Evans contributed to this story.