Candidates Raised Record $286 Million in ’94 : Politics: Common Cause report says big spenders usually won. The group strives to place a campaign finance reform initiative on the ’96 ballot.

California candidates for state and federal offices raised a record $286 million in campaign contributions during the 1994 election cycle, and candidates who spent the most money generally won, according to a report issued Tuesday by the nonprofit group Common Cause.

“Running successfully for office in California today has become an endless money chase,” said Ruth Holton, executive director of Common Cause. “The 1994 election figures clearly demonstrate that term limits don’t change the bottom line: money, not ideas, determines the winner.”

The old fund-raising record for state and federal offices was $147 million set in 1990, but there was no U.S. Senate race that year.

Holton endorsed the concept of a package of pending campaign finance reform bills sponsored by state Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward), but noted that it faces an uphill fight, particularly against Gov. Pete Wilson.

Therefore, she said, Common Cause is working with Ross Perot’s United We Stand and other groups to place a campaign finance reform initiative on the November, 1996, election ballot.

“It is clear that the Legislature appears incapable of reforming itself,” Holton said, “so it is up to the people to do it for them.”

The proposed ballot measure would impose strict contribution and spending limits, prohibit both the transfer of campaign funds between candidates and non-election year fund-raising efforts, and require the filing of computerized finance reports--but would exclude public campaign financing.

The governor last year vetoed a Lockyer bill that limited contributions and expenditures by legislative candidates and provided for partial public financing, contingent on voter approval. Wilson argued that state money was more urgently needed for other programs such as schools, health and public safety. Lockyer’s campaign reform package is similar to last year’s.

Among the report’s other major findings:

* Wilson and Democratic candidate Kathleen Brown raised a record $50.2 million for their race, an 11% increase over the 1990 gubernatorial contest.

* Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) raised $13 million for her reelection bid last year, while her opponent, Republican Mike Huffington, raised $29.4 million, including $27.9 million in personal loans, for a total of $42.4 million.

* Fund raising for statewide offices rose to $92 million, a 36% increase over 1990.

* In 92% of the legislative races the candidate with the most money won. Ninety percent of legislative incumbents won reelection and out-raised challengers 5 to 1.

* Legislative campaign fund raising totaled $78.4 million, up 9% from the amount collected in 1992.

* Legislative and statewide candidates ended the 1994 campaign season $15.9 million in debt, an 82% increase in leftover debts from 1990.

* Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) was the top legislative fund-raiser in the Assembly and Senate, collecting $6.8 million, most of which he gave to other Assembly Democrats to help get them elected.