Candidates Find Campaign Funds Are Slim Pickings : Politics: Challengers are at more of a disadvantage than usual as the recession tightens contributors’ purse strings.

The way state Senate candidate John Ward figures it, even in the best of times he could not wage a dollar-for-dollar campaign against incumbent Sen. Robert G. Beverly, who has more than $400,000 socked away in his campaign account.

And these are not the best of times.

Recession-embattled campaign contributors are keeping a tight grip on their wallets at the same time dozens of candidates are clamoring for cash.

“Times are tough,” said Ward, a Lakewood furniture store owner. “My average contribution is $35. It would be great if some people would give me $1,000 now and then, but so far only my mother has done that.”

Candidates in state legislative races throughout Southeast Los Angeles County report the same thing: While it’s never been easy to part supporters from their dollars, these days it’s especially difficult.

“Let’s face it, everyone is having a hard time,” said 50th District Assembly candidate Martha Escutia. “We have a recession here . . . and there are simply too many people running at the same time, going after the same money tree.”

Escutia and other candidates estimate they will need at least $100,000 to fend off challengers in the June 2 primary. As a result, she and many other candidates have borrowed money to get their campaigns off the ground.

According to campaign disclosure statements filed recently with the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder, half of the 38 candidates running in the six Assembly districts and two state Senate districts that encompass Long Beach and other Southeast cities have taken out loans ranging from $1,400 to nearly $100,000.

Of the $105,574 that Norwalk City Councilwoman Grace Musquiz Napolitano has raised in her bid to gain the Democratic nomination for 58th District Assembly seat, $99,000 is a loan from Councilman Luigi A. Vernola. Napolitano said she has put up her home as collateral.

“I took out a second mortgage on my house,” Napolitano explained. “I’m putting my money where my mouth is. If you feel strong enough about something, then you will put everything at your disposal together, and I feel I’m a viable candidate in this race. I’ve paid my dues.”

The loan gives Napolitano a larger war chest than any of her opponents.

Political consultants say it is not unusual for candidates to borrow money--in many cases from themselves or family members--to get a campaign rolling.

However, borrowing money has definitely become a trend in this campaign, said political consultant Todd Jones. “In this election cycle, the money is just not there.”

Even the incumbents are crying poor, despite the fact that for the first three months of this year, many have received thousands of dollars from political action committees, trade and business associations.

“There is only so much money out there, and everyone gets a little less,” Assemblyman Gerald Felando said.

Al Pross, executive director of the California Medical Assn.’s PAC, said there have been so many pleas for contributions that candidates will be receiving smaller contributions from the PAC this year.

Challengers have little sympathy for the incumbents, questioning their numerous contributions from PACs.

“When you accept money from a PAC, it’s easy to see how you might feel an obligation to vote in their interests or at least espouse their views,” said Lynwood Councilman Paul H. Richards II, who is running for the state Senate. “You have less flexibility.”

But Sen. Beverly said the PAC contributions to incumbents are “a fact of life.

“I’m not going to be influenced by contributions,” Beverly said.

Candidates and political consultant say the challenge now is making the dollars stretch--a task that Beverly’s Republican challenger, Ward, is taking seriously.

With the help of his wife and their nine children, Ward transformed their sprawling Lakewood home into a miniature assembly line.

In the dining room, 25 ice cream containers--representing 25 different ZIP codes in the district--line the wall. The table is hidden underneath stacks of flyers, handouts and envelopes.

His children and family friends cull the list of supporters, create labels on the home computer, stuff envelopes, slap on a label and drop it in a bin for Ward to mail. His wife, Sondra, takes the family portraits for the mailers. The same crew of volunteers builds the signs and walks the precincts.

“I could mortgage my home but I don’t want to do that,” Ward said. “I’m just hoping that if I don’t spend that much money, then Beverly won’t spend as much.”

Times Staff Writer George Hatch contributed to this story.

Campaign Financial Disclosures

Candidates for state legislative office are required to file statements revealing how much money they have raised, how much they have spent and where the money came from. The following chart shows how much each candidate raised from Jan. 1 to March 17 in Southeast area races.

Senate

25th District

(Lynwood, Paramount, parts of Compton, Hawthorne and Inglewood)

Democrat

Paul H. Richards: $53,361

Teresa P. Hughes: $0

Republican

Cliff McClain: *

Peace and Freedom

Hattie Marie Benn: *

27th District

(Bellflower, Downey, Cerritos, Artesia, Lakewood, Long Beach, Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro)

Democrat

Brian Finander: $14,188

Joel H. Lubin: *

Republican

Robert G. Beverly (i): $27,560

John L. Ward: $ 9,639

Glenn Posey: $ 1,200

Don J. Bullock: *

Libertarian

David J. Rosen: *

Peace and Freedom

Patrick McCoy: *

Assembly

50th District

(Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Commerce, Huntington Park, Maywood, South Gate, Vernon)

Democrat

Pat Acosta: $25,331

Martha Escutia: $33,800

Virginia Reade Belmontez: $0

Joseph Ricardo Ruiz: $10,570

Republican

Gladys O. Miller: $0

52nd District

(Lynwood, Paramount, Gardena)

Democrat

Patricia A. Moore: **

Evelyn Wells: $7,007

Willard H. Murray Jr. (i): $16,250

54th District

(Long Beach, Lakewood, Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro)

Democrat

Betty Karnette: $1,000

Republican

Gerald Felando (i): $25,201

Don L. Bullock: *

American Independent

Joseph G. Fields: *

55th District

(Carson, Compton)

Democrat

Juanita M. McDonald: $70,063

Dave Elder (i): $62,400

Richard E. Floyd (i): $59,749

Libertarian

Shannon Anderson: *

56th District

(Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, east Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, parts of Long Beach)

Democrat

Bob Epple (i): $20,099

Frederick R. Baisley: *

Republican

Phillip Hawkins: $11,577

Daniel Wong: *

Libertarian

Richard Gard: *

58th District

(Norwalk, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, Walnut)

Democrat

Armando Duron: $48,531

Grace Musquiz Napolitano: $105,574

Raul Pardo: *

Albert Perez Jr.: $10,000

Rick D. Sanchez: $1,400

Republican

Ken Gow: *

(i) denotes incumbent

* Candidate has declared he will raise less than $1,000 during the campaign

** Campaign disclosure statement not received by county as of April 1

Source: Los Angeles County registrar-recorder