Wilson Reports Raising a Hefty $8.2 Million

All of the candidates for governor bring certain advantages to the 1990 race, but Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson has one you can put in the bank--awesome fund-raising.

As the gubernatorial campaign begins to heat up, Wilson reports that through Jan. 1 he raised $8.2 million since he declared his candidacy one year ago.

That is 2 1/2 times the amount raised in 1989 by the front-running Democratic challenger, Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp. He reports total contributions as of Jan. 1 of $3.2 million. That does not include $1.1 million Van de Kamp raised before 1989 and was able to transfer to his gubernatorial war chest.

According to statements released by the campaigns Wednesday, Wilson has also been spending his money. As of Jan. 1, he had $4.6 million in cash on hand, meaning he had spent almost $4 million of what he had raised.

Van de Kamp’s cash on hand as of Jan. 1 was a respectable $3 million.

Van de Kamp’s opponent in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Dianne Feinstein, reported Wednesday that through Jan. 1 she had raised $996,000. She has also lent her campaign another $1.2 million of her own money. Feinstein’s husband is a wealthy investment banker in San Francisco, where she was mayor for nine years.

Feinstein’s cash on hand figure for Jan. 1 was $1.4 million. But last week, her campaign began airing television ads that are expected to run through mid-February in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento. That is expected to deplete her resources by at least $500,000.

Wilson campaign director Otto Bos was touting the fact that his man had raised $3.8 million in the last six months of 1989 and that it came from 51,000 individuals.

“That many contributors means we have broad support,” Bos said.

He noted that Wilson, in addition to being able to tap into traditional Republican business sources, also is the only gubernatorial candidate who is accustomed to raising money under the type of contribution limits that now apply to state races.

Under Proposition 68, passed by the voters in 1988, an individual may give a candidate no more than $1,000 per fund-raising period. Previously in statewide races, an individual could give unlimited amounts.

$1,000 Restriction

Wilson has been living with the $1,000 restriction used in federal races since he was elected to the Senate in 1982.

Bos said, “We think we are on our way to our fund-raising goal, which is to duplicate what we raised when Pete won reelection to the Senate in ’88. In that campaign, we raised $16 million.”

Wilson also has the advantage of having four of the best Republican fund-raisers in the country working for him--Joyce Valdez of Los Angeles, Karolyn Dorsee of San Diego and Carey Hagglund and Kristin Hueter of San Francisco.

“Running for governor of California is like running for president of a country anywhere else,” said Bos, who noted that Wilson’s fund-raisers previously have worked for presidential candidates.

Van de Kamp campaign manager Richie Ross was caustic about Feinstein’s having lent her campaign more than $1 million.

“We have no contributions over $1 million,” Ross said, “and that compares rather dramatically with Feinstein’s situation.

“In the last six months John Van de Kamp raised $1.3 million from 17,000 individuals,” Ross said. “Of these, 2,025 gave more than $100 each and the balance--nearly 15,000--gave in amounts under $100. That is a broad base of support out there.”

In other statewide campaigns, Democratic candidate for treasurer Kathleen Brown reported that as of Jan. 1 she had raised $1.1 million since she began her campaign last year. Also as of the first of the year, she had $676,000 on hand and she has no primary opposition.

That means Brown has outraised the incumbent treasurer, Republican Thomas Hayes, who reported pulling in $659,000 in contributions in 1989. His cash on hand as of Jan. 1 was $295,000.

Hayes’ opponent in the GOP primary for treasurer, Angela (Bay) Buchanan, reported raising $400,000 in 1989 and had $165,000 on hand on Jan. 1.

Among the GOP candidates for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Marian Bergeson of Newport Beach listed total contributions through Jan. 1 of $397,000. She also transferred another $200,000 from her state Senate campaign treasury, according to her manager, Eric Rose. She had $207,000 on hand Jan. 1.

Her opponent, state Sen. John Seymour of Anaheim, reported raising $757,000 as of Jan. 1 and had $403,000 on hand.