Garcetti Keeps Endorsement, Fund-Raising Lead Over Lynch

Heading into the campaign homestretch, Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti holds a 15-1 lead in fund-raising over challenger John Lynch, according to election disclosure records made public Tuesday.

Garcetti, the first-term incumbent, reported to county election officials in forms filed Monday that he had $714,460 in the bank as of Sept. 30. Lynch had $47,462.

Meanwhile, Lynch disclosed Tuesday that former Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Robert Philibosian and a statewide victims rights group, Crime Victims United, had endorsed him. Garcetti countered by announcing that two challengers in the March primary election, Malcolm Jordan and Steve Zand, had joined his lengthy endorsement list.

The campaign disclosure forms, which cover the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, show Lynch improving his financial position from June 30--when he had only $7,858 in the bank.

The reports also underscore Garcetti’s ongoing ability to raise funds.

From July 1 through Sept. 30, Garcetti raised $358,251, according to the forms. Lynch, who heads the district attorney’s Norwalk branch, took in $118,076.

Rick Taylor, Lynch’s campaign manager, said the challenger spent about $55,000 for space on seven slate mailers--a purchase that Taylor said will deliver Lynch’s name on 3 1/2 million pieces of mail.

Taylor also said that Lynch has raised an additional $50,000 since Oct. 1. He said the Lynch campaign plans to spend $150,000 buying TV time in the week prior to election day, Nov. 5.

Garcetti has said many times that he intends to raise $1 million to $1.5 million by election day. Campaign manager Matt Middlebrook said Tuesday that Garcetti will almost surely top $1 million but not $1.5 million.

In endorsing Garcetti, Jordan and Zand added their names to a list of backers that includes both of California’s U.S. senators, seven of the state’s congressional representatives, six state senators, 10 Assembly members, three county supervisors, nine Los Angeles City Council members, Sheriff Sherman Block, more than 60 mayors and two dozen labor or political action groups.

In statements released by the Garcetti campaign, Jordan said Lynch “frankly has no plan for what he would do as district attorney.” Zand said Garcetti “offers vision and leadership.”

Jordan, also a deputy district attorney, finished third in the March 26 primary election, with 17% of the vote--behind Garcetti with 37%, and Lynch with 21%. Zand, a lawyer in private practice in Encino, came in sixth with 2%.

In response to the endorsements, Taylor said of Zand: “He ran, right? Zand was on the [primary] ballot?” About Jordan, Taylor said: “Honestly, who cares?”

The other two candidates in the March primary, lawyer Harold Greenberg and Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling “Ernie” Norris, said Tuesday that they have made no endorsements.

Philibosian, who served as district attorney from 1982 to 1984, was out of the country on business and not available for comment. In the 1984 election, Garcetti, then a deputy district attorney, helped then-City Atty. Ira Reiner defeat Philibosian in the race for district attorney. On Tuesday, Middlebrook called Philibosian’s endorsement of Lynch an “opportunity to pay Gil back.”

Al Pross, political director of Crime Victims United, said the San Francisco-based group had voted Sept. 23 to endorse Lynch. Stressing that he had no negative remarks about Garcetti, he said of Lynch: “We think he’ll do an excellent job on behalf of victims.”

Lynch’s slim endorsement list also includes lawyer and radio talk show host Gloria Allred.