IRVINE : Candidate Support Exceeds $100,000

Candidates running for mayor and City Council have raised a total of more than $100,000, upholding the tradition that running for Irvine office is serious business.

Even though candidates may accept no more than $180 from individual donors, the top-spending candidates have raised tens of thousands of dollars as of Oct. 17, according to required disclosure statements filed with the city clerk.

Candidates have spent the money on traditional supplies like buttons and flyers, as well as paying political consultants, mass-mailing companies and part-time staff to help them win votes next Tuesday.

The campaign financial reports show that City Council candidate Christopher B. Mears continues to lead all other candidates in money raised and spent.

As of the Oct. 17, Mears had raised $33,046 and spent $28,733.

Mears’ closest financial competitor is Christina Shea, who has raised $22,462 and spent $20,260. Mears and Shea have been campaigning hard for the two open seats in the at-large race. The top two vote-getters will be elected.

The next-largest fund-raisers have been incumbent Paula Werner, seeking a second term, and Kenneth Bruner, a full-time aide to Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley and a member of the city Transportation Commission.

Werner reported raising $22,817 and spending $16,840. Bruner raised $12,436 and spent $10,873.

Several candidates are tapping their savings to make up for a lack of donations. Top-spender Mears has loaned his campaign $6,250 so far. Shea has loaned herself $10,000.

Mayoral candidate Marc Goldstone also has raised most of his campaign funds from his own pocket. Of the $8,621 he reported raising as of Oct. 17, $5,000 came from loans he has made to his campaign committee.

Two days after the Oct. 17 reporting cut-off date, Goldstone loaned his campaign another $1,000, making his the campaign with the largest percentage of loaned funds.

Mayoral candidate Helen Cameron has loaned herself $4,800 of the $16,904 she has raised.

Fellow mayoral candidate Mike Ward has loaned himself only $400 of the $10,379 he has raised.

Loaning money to their own campaigns allows candidates to repay themselves if they raise enough in donations.

Other candidates for mayor, David Fondots, Albert E. Nasser and Leslie J. Racey, all said before the campaign that they were going to spend less than $1,000 each, which exempts them from detailing their fund-raising and spending.

Among council candidates, Philip Bui, John Boardman, George A. Gallaher and Dale Peterson also have said they would spend less than $1,000 each.

In one of several fund-raising errors made by candidates, Mears accepted an illegal contribution from Assemblyman Tom Umberg’s campaign committee.

In Irvine, candidates may accept money from other political candidates but not from candidates’ campaign committees.

City Clerk Nancy C. Lacey said Monday that the Mears campaign has agreed to return the $180 contribution.