Gallegly Has More Campaign Funds Than Expected Rival

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), who faces an expected primary challenge, has $173,016 available after raising $188,653 last year.

Sang Korman, the Calabasas real estate developer who mounted a costly but futile race against Gallegly in 1988, reported that he has $29,615 on hand after garnering $82,750 in 1989. Korman appears poised to run in the June GOP primary, although he has not announced his candidacy.

Additional reports filed by San Fernando Valley lawmakers with the Federal Election Commission show that Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-Glendale) has stockpiled $720,386 in campaign funds, and Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) raised $360,234 in the second half of 1989. Neither is expected to draw serious opposition in his reelection bid.

Gallegly, who raised $35,437 in the second half of 1989, reported that he received 28% of his total for the year from special-interest political action committees.

This included $4,200 from the Lockheed Employees PAC; $1,300 from the American Medical PAC; $1,250 from Newhall Land & Farming’s NEW PAC; $1,200 from the Northrup Employees PAC and $1,000 from the Auto Dealers and Drivers for Free Trade PAC.

Ironically, Gallegly received $1,300 from the National Rifle Assn. and, at the same time, contributions totaling $900 from the Handgun Control PAC. He generally opposes gun control but won Handgun Control’s support after he cast a high-profile vote for a 1988 bill that would have established a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases to enable dealers to determine whether the prospective buyer was a felon. The measure was defeated.

Gallegly reported debts of $35,001, including $13,875 in rent for his campaign headquarters at a Simi Valley building owned by him and his wife, Janice, and another couple. He also loaned his campaign $19,411 for office rent and machines.

Korman raised no money from PACs and did not contribute any of his own money to his campaign last year. Most of his funds came from fellow Korean-Americans from outside the 21st District.

“An important barometer of whether he should run is the support he can rely on from the Korean community,” said Bob Lavoie, Korman’s political consultant. “I don’t think he’s done any tremendous amount of fund raising in the district.”

Korman reported debts of $255,909, most of it owed to himself. Korman spent $391,591, much of it his personal funds, to win 14% of the vote two years ago.

Berman, who took in less than 25% of his funds from political action committees, has never faced a serious challenge in his solidly Democratic 26th District. He contributes heavily to the campaigns of Los Angeles Democratic allies and liberals nationwide.

This year, he said, the redrawing of congressional districts by the governor and state Legislature after the 1990 census adds an element of uncertainty for incumbents.

“A new factor has come into this,” said Berman, who held his single planned major fund-raiser for the two-year election cycle in September. “It’s called stockpiling because of 1992,” the first year that lawmakers will have to run in newly created districts.

Moorhead, also secure in his steadfastly Republican 22nd District, has said the campaign cache is needed to dissuade challengers and prepare him for redistricting. He raised $127,428 in the second half of 1989--64% of it from special-interest PACs.

Under federal law, Moorhead, 67, would be able to convert leftover campaign funds for personal use if he retired from Congress by 1992, but he said he has no interest in taking advantage of the law.