ELECTIONS / FINANCING : O’Connell Top Fund-Raiser in Legislative Races

Assemblyman Jack O’Connell has raised more cash for his state Senate campaign than any other Ventura County legislative candidate and holds a huge fund-raising lead over his Republican opponent in November.

Campaign finance reports filed this week by O’Connell show that the Carpinteria Democrat had $247,018 in his campaign account as of the end of June, while Republican opponent Steve MacElvaine reported less than $3,000 in the bank.

The two are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring state Sen. Gary Hart (D-Santa Barbara), whose 18th District covers Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Among O’Connell’s largest contributors were the California Medical PAC, which gave $3,250; the California Optometric PAC, which gave $6,100, and the California State Employees Assn., which contributed $10,000.

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MacElvaine, a cattle rancher and former San Luis Obispo County supervisor, spent $124,496 to defeat Santa Barbara businessman Steve Decker in the Republican primary in June.

MacElvaine said he is undeterred by O’Connell’s fund-raising prowess, pointing out that the district is nearly split down the middle between Republican and Democratic voters.

“We don’t need $1 million to go up against him,” said MacElvaine, who has loaned his campaign $90,000. “We’ll raise enough to compete against him.”

In the race for O’Connell’s 35th Assembly District seat, Republican candidate Brooks Firestone holds a significant fund-raising lead over Democratic challenger Mindy Lorenz.

Firestone reported $211,557 in cash on hand as of June 30, including loans of more than $65,000 from himself and family members. Meanwhile, Lorenz reported a mere $1,496 in the bank following her expensive primary victory over Bob Ream, an aide to Hart. Both Lorenz and Ream spent more than $100,000 each.

Since filing her last financial report, Lorenz said she has raised an additional $20,000 and has a number of fund-raising events planned in coming weeks.

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“We knew (Firestone) would have a financial advantage coming out of an uncontested primary,” said Lorenz, who has loaned her campaign $10,000. “But I have more name recognition. That’s what the primary did for me.”

Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard) far exceeded the fund-raising efforts of Democratic challenger Dorothy Maron. Takasugi had $57,137 in reserves at the end of June, while Maron reported a balance of $2,664.

Takasugi received a $1,000 contribution from Exxon Corp. and contributions of $500 each from the California Telephone Assn., Hewlett Packard and the California Medical PAC, according to his latest financial statement.

Takasugi is seeking reelection in the 37th Assembly District, which extends from Oxnard to Moorpark and Thousand Oaks.

Maron said she knows she faces an uphill battle against Takasugi but believes she can run a credible grass-roots campaign against the assemblyman.

“There’s no question I have my work cut out for me,” said Maron, who has loaned her campaign $6,000. “I’m certainly not going to be able to raise what Mr. Takasugi has raised. . . . I’m a Democrat. We have more difficulty raising money.”

In statewide races, state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), a candidate for lieutenant governor, spent $316,942 to win the GOP primary. She will face Democratic state Controller Gray Davis in the lieutenant governor’s race in November.

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Wright reported a balance of $9,839 at the end of June, with $105,653 in outstanding debts. Davis, on the other hand, had a whopping $2.3 million in cash on hand, with $14,231 in unpaid debts.

Former Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), who is running for state controller, spent $381,173 to win the GOP primary. He had $30,000 on hand for the fall campaign against Los Angeles businesswoman Kathleen Connell. Connell’s financial report was not available.

Nor were financial reports available for Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland (R-Granada Hills) or her 19-year-old Democratic challenger, Josh Arce of Chatsworth. Boland’s 38th Assembly District covers Simi Valley, Fillmore and portions of the western San Fernando Valley.