Huge Sums Go to Races for Supervisor

As the high-stakes races for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors head into the final critical days, labor unions, real estate developers, county contractors and even Hollywood celebrities are pumping huge sums of money into the campaigns that could set spending records, finance reports show.

In the historic race in the 2nd Supervisorial District in South-Central Los Angeles, where a black will be elected to the Board of Supervisors for the first time, former Rep. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and her opponent, state Sen. Diane Watson, have both surpassed the $1-million mark in fund raising.

Nearly $1 out of every $5 donated to Watson’s campaign has come from labor, including most of the unions representing county employees whose salaries are set by the board. Burke’s chief patron has been retiring Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who has contributed $83,000. She also has received support from large corporations, law firms and Wall Street businesses that bid on county contracts.

In the bitter runoff in the 4th Supervisorial District, three-term incumbent Deane Dana has raised and spent $1.9 million--nearly five times the $424,815 raised by his challenger, Rolling Hills Mayor Gordana Swanson. More than half of Swanson’s campaign fund--$244,125--consists of loans from her family and friends.

Despite the recession and a ballot crowded with propositions and other races, the two supervisorial races are each rapidly approaching the record $2.8 million spent in 1988 when Supervisor Mike Antonovich defeated ex-Supervisor Baxter Ward. The job of county supervisor pays $99,297 a year.

For some donors, the election is important because the Board of Supervisors awards more than $1 billion in private contracts annually for public works projects, equipment purchases and services, such as legal work.

Because of the huge size of the districts--each contains more than 1.8 million residents--the candidates are forced to deliver their messages through costly direct mailers and radio ads, a factor in the push to raise large campaign war chests.

There are no contribution limits in supervisorial races, unlike in the city of Los Angeles where voters have enacted a $500 cap on individual donations to City Council candidates. Such limits typically are enacted to lessen the perceived influence of special interests.

Campaign finance records dating from the start of the campaign a year ago through last weekend show distinctive trends in each of the candidates’ approaches to raising money, and strong support from various special interests.

Unions have given Watson more than $200,000, compared to $17,500 for Burke. Organized labor also is sending out a mailer on Watson’s behalf, as well as providing campaign workers who are calling and walking precincts to reach the 47,000 union members who live in the district.

“Diane has always been there for us,” said Jim Franklin, political director of the California State Council of Service Employees International Union who is serving as Watson’s campaign manager. “She is a card-carrying member from United Teachers of Los Angeles,” he added, referring to Watson’s days as a teacher.

Henry Walton, political director of SEIU Local 660, the county’s largest labor union, representing 40,000 county workers, said the union backed Watson because of her opposition to layoffs to solve the county’s budget problems and her pledge to end private contracting of jobs held by county workers.

Burke, the daughter of a union organizer, said of labor support for her opponent: “Some people tell me they feel as though I’m forgiving, and she’s vindictive, and if they don’t come up with the money, she’ll get them in Sacramento. . . . They figure they can take me for granted. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

In addition to her support from the business community, Burke has received financial backing from a number of attorney friends. Burke also received a $5,000 contribution last week from Westside Rep. Howard Berman.

Burke, an attorney, has received $10,432 from her law firm, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, which is under contract to serve as the county’s lobbyist in Washington. Burke also received $43,515 from Nestle USA, on whose advisory board she serves--and which holds a county contract to supply candy for vending machines in the county jails--and $25,000 from USC Law School classmate Herbert Hafif.

Burke received $40,000 from entertainment executive A. Jerrold Perenchio. Burke said the contribution came because Perenchio was grateful for her agreeing to do a television commercial for unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate Mel Levine, whom Perenchio supported.

Like a number of other contributors, Perenchio also gave $2,500 to Watson. He did not return calls seeking an explanation.

Napoleon Brandford III of the San Francisco investment banking firm Grigsby Brandford & Co. has contributed $6,500 to Watson, while Calvin Grigsby of the firm contributed $10,000 to Burke. Grigsby Brandford & Co., which is minority-owned, has received county contracts to be an underwriter in selling bonds to raise money for county projects. Both candidates have pledged to seek more county contracts for minority- and women-owned firms and have received contributions from such businesses.

Burke and Watson spend four hours a day on the phone soliciting contributions, sometimes calling from their cars while traveling between campaign events, spokesmen for the candidates said. Both have held fund-raisers in New York City.

Dana has attracted contributions from a wide array of businesses that conduct business with the county.

Lobbyist Doug Ring, whose family holds controversial county leases in Marina del Rey, has contributed $10,000, including $5,000 in the latest reporting period ending Oct. 17.

Other large contributors to Dana are Continental Development Corp., $10,000; Dale Poe Development Corp. $10,000; Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, $9,500; Browning-Ferris Industries, owner of a controversial landfill, $8,000; Newhall Land and Farming, $10,000; attorney Richard Riordan, whose firm has received county legal work, $10,000; Tutor Saliba Corp, which has large transportation project contracts, $15,000, and Firefighters Local 1014, $15,000.

In an indication that the campaign is still in need of funds in the crucial days before the election, Dana’s campaign has begun borrowing money to fund its operations.

The campaign has borrowed $10,000 from former Gov. George Deukmejian’s campaign fund; $8,000 from the development firm Casney Group, and $5,000 from Newhall Land and Farming Co.

Dana has also received additional funds from earlier contributors, such as the Assn. of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which added $3,000 to its earlier $5,000 donation.

Swanson’s support has come primarily from four sources: friends in Rolling Hills, Malibu residents who battled with Dana over a controversial sewer project, transportation industry unions and her own pocketbook.

The United Transportation Union, which represents RTD and Metro Blue Line drivers, contributed $11,000 to Swanson--who sits on the Rapid Transit District board of directors--and persuaded other unions, such as the Amalgamated Transit Union, to kick in $5,000.

Swanson’s family also has lent her campaign $220,000 and in the last few weeks she received a $2,500 loan from Marvin L. Holden, a colleague on the RTD board.

Many contributors to Swanson’s upstart, outsider campaign are new to the political process.

Malibu residents--including celebrities Jack Lemmon, Burgess Meredith and Bob Newhart--raised nearly $20,000 for Swanson. And Lemmon agreed to narrate a Swanson radio ad.

“We owed Deane Dana that fund-raiser,” said Malibu Mayor Jack Keller, referring to Dana’s support for an unpopular sewer project in the coastal community and his opposition to the cityhood movement.

Though Malibu was moved out of the 4th District in last year’s reapportionment plan, Keller said Malibu residents still need friends on the Board of Supervisors. “She seems right for us,” Keller said.

Although the 4th District election could establish a women’s majority on the powerful Board of Supervisors, Swanson has drawn only about $5,000 from women’s organizations. Swanson political consultant Garry South said that many women’s groups were committed to other races before Swanson forced Dana into a runoff.