SAN CLEMENTE : Recession Creating Low-Key Campaigns

City Council incumbents Candace Haggard and Scott Diehl have had the most success in raising campaign funds so far in what is turning out to be one of the city’s quietest council races.

According to campaign documents filed Monday by all seven council candidates, only Haggard, Diehl and challenger Mark Blencowe have managed to raise more than $1,000 for the Nov. 3 election. The remaining four candidates--Jay Durkin, David T. Leland, Daniel Robert Huard and Glenn Edward Roy--filed documents stating that they do not expect to raise or spend more than $1,000 at this time.

The seven are running for two open City Council seats on the five-member council.

Haggard, who has collected $5,507, leads the pack, followed by Diehl with $2,098 and Blencowe with $1,197.

Candidates say the recession, the attention on the presidential election and the lack of any red-hot issues thus far in the race appear to be the main reasons for the relatively low-key campaign.

“It’s really tough,” said Haggard, a county government analyst who is seeking her second term. “With this terrible economy, people just don’t have the discretionary spending money they used to have.”

While Haggard has had more success than most, she said her fund-raising efforts are off from what they were four years ago. Of the $5,507 she has collected so far, $3,000 of that comes from her own pocket. She has not received a contribution of more than $100 from any person or group.

At the rate the campaign is going, Diehl said he probably won’t end up spending the estimated $12,000 he spent in 1988.

“This is the quietest campaign I’ve ever been involved with,” said Diehl, a veterinarian who is seeking his third four-year term on the council.

Of the $2,098 Diehl has collected so far, $350 came from his own pocketbook. His top contribution of $500 came from San Clemente mobile home park owner N.L. McAdoo.