Campaign Funding SOAR-ing

Since starting their landmark growth-control drive this spring, SOAR activists have maintained they were waging a low-budget fight against deep-pocketed developers.

But so far, it is SOAR that holds the fund-raising edge, according to campaign finance reports released Monday.

The Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources campaign has raised $227,735, besting the $219,562 collected by the anti-SOAR Coalition for Community Planning, according to the reports that cover the three months ending Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, contributions in two wide-open Assembly races also suggest how costly the final month of this campaign could be, as donations from throughout California have already fattened campaign bankrolls.

In a race both parties have targeted as pivotal to Assembly control, Republican actor Chris Mitchum has raised nearly $500,000 this year, including $177,000 from Republican lawmakers, while Democratic lawyer Hannah-Beth Jackson has received $310,000 and awaits a promised half a million or more from party leaders in Sacramento.

Analysts say each side could spend $1 million on the 35th District contest before the Nov. 3 election.

Former legislative aide Tony Strickland’s campaign to keep the 37th Assembly District in the Republican camp has raised more than $400,000 so far--including $81,000 in cash and loans from a powerful conservative group directed partly by Camarillo religious broadcaster Edward Atsinger III.

His Democrat opponent, teacher Roz McGrath, has raised only $52,000, and is counting on an infusion of cash from state Democratic leaders to be competitive in the traditionally Republican district, currently held by former Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi.

Two countywide races--for Superior Court judge and assessor--have also turned into expensive endurance contests. Defense lawyer Gary Windom and prosecutor Kevin J. McGee each have raised around $90,000, while assessor candidate Dan Goodwin has raised $99,000--twice as much as opponent Jim Dodd.

SOAR

Most of SOAR’s money has come from small donations by local residents and businesses, while the majority of the Coalition for Community Planning’s cash has come from Realtors, farmers and developers, the reports showed.

Indeed, nearly half of the coalition’s money has come from just four donors: the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California, which gave $43,503; IMPAC, a Realtors’ group, which gave $37,000; Limoneira Co., which gave $17,500; and Standard Pacific Homes, which gave $10,000.

“We’re pleased at the amount of contributions we have received over this 90-day period, and we hope to double that amount over the next 30 days,” said coalition chairman Rob Roy, president of the Ventura County Agricultural Assn.

“We’re not talking about the multimillion-dollar campaign that our opponents have been talking about here,” he added. “We’re talking about a very comparable, grass-roots type of campaign.”

SOAR leader Steve Bennett downplayed his group’s financial advantage, saying he was convinced the opposition had much more cash at its disposal. SOAR’s largest donation during the reporting period was $5,000 from Thousand Oaks attorney Ed Masry, bringing Masry’s total SOAR contributions to $20,000.

Bennett believes SOAR has all but tapped out its donor base, and noted that although the SOAR campaign has raised more money than its opponents, it has been slow to spend it, using only $44,746. By contrast, the anti-SOAR campaign has spent $143,141--a sign, Bennett says, that they know much more is coming.

“They’re calling themselves grass-roots now, but this is a grass-roots effort funded by the BIA and the Realtors,” Bennett joked. “If you have enough money, I guess you can turn black into white and white into black.”

A countywide SOAR measure would prevent politicians from rezoning farmland and open space outside cities through 2020 without voter approval. SOAR measures in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard and Santa Paula would block those cities from expanding beyond certain borders unless voters agreed to it first. Another SOAR measure will go before Moorpark voters in a special election in January.

35th Assembly District

In the 35th Assembly District--which includes Ventura, Ojai and the Santa Clara Valley--analysts say the race to replace retiring Republican Brooks Firestone is up for grabs--and Mitchum and Jackson could hardly be running harder.

Mitchum has raised $357,000 over the past three months, including half from the Republican Assembly leadership and the campaigns of other GOP lawmakers. He had $225,000 in the bank on Sept. 30.

Jackson received $142,000 during the latest reporting period and has $151,000 left to spend.

Seeing an opportunity to win back a traditionally Democratic seat, the Assembly Democratic Caucus is ready to pour $500,000 to $750,000 into Jackson’s effort, caucus campaign manager Darry Sragow said Monday.

“This could be a million-dollar race,” Sragow said.

*

The Democrats have a 43-37 edge in the Assembly. And Sragow said the 35th is one his party could win back. Democrats held the seat for 20 years until Firestone won in 1994.

“I’m in good shape,” Jackson said. “But it’s ridiculous that a race for Assembly is going to cost a million dollars. I’d work for campaign reform.”

Although he has raised nearly $500,000, Mitchum cast himself as a fund-raising underdog. He said he expects to spend no more than $700,000 and has been told by Republican leaders to raise as much as he can himself.

“They told me to get what I can within the district and then they’ll help me out,” Mitchum said.

Retired business executive Robert Veloz, who hosted a fund-raiser in his Montecito home, gave Mitchum about $19,000 including nonmonetary gifts, while retired oil-additive executive Andy Granatelli contributed more than $12,000. Former Republican Rep. Robert Lagomarsino hosted a fund-raiser that cost $5,000 at his Solimar Beach home.

Other big Mitchum contributors include the California Chamber of Commerce, whose political action committee gave $25,000.

Mitchum said he will host another fund-raiser tonight--entertaining lobbyists in Sacramento with a guest appearance by “Star Trek” star William Shatner.

Jackson said she has garnered support more modestly, in about 1,000 small, individual contributions. Her largest contributors were unions and women’s groups: The Consumer Attorneys political committee has given $11,000; the California State Council of Laborers, $5,000; the California Applicants’ Attorney Assn., $4,500; the statewide Women’s Political Committee, $3,000; and the California League of Conservation Voters, $3,000.

Her largest individual givers were investor Nancy Brown of Santa Barbara, $4,500; and retired Ventura resident Barbara Meister, $2,000.

37th Assembly District

In the 37th District--which stretches from Oxnard to Thousand Oaks--Strickland’s prolific fund-raising leaves him with $122,000 in the bank, compared to McGrath’s balance of $16,000.

Strickland, former aide to conservative Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge), said he has received more than 500 donations averaging $110. But his biggest booster is the free-spending California Independent Business PAC.

The group, which has spent millions in support of conservative candidates statewide since 1990, is partly run by Atsinger, whose Camarillo-based business owns 43 religious radio stations.

Strickland also has received $35,000 in loans from conservative Assembly members and contributions from PACs representing conservative attorneys, the real estate industry and the National Rifle Assn.

*

McGrath said she is fighting an uphill battle.

“I’ve raised $50,000 and he’s got all these PACs in his pocket,” McGrath said. “It’s real discouraging, but I’ve got a couple a hundred volunteers, too.”

McGrath, a member of a prominent farm family, received her largest donations from farmers, teachers groups, women’s groups and labor unions.

They include $2,500 from the California Federation of Teachers, $2,000 from the California State Employees’ Assn., $1,500 from the California Teachers Assn., $1,500 from investment executive William McCann; $1,000 from Latino advocacy group Entrenos and $1,000 from farmer John Broome.

The prospect still remains for an infusion of cash from the Assembly Democratic Caucus, she said.

“We were in Sacramento last week, and they were really paying attention to our race,” she said.

Democratic leaders are beginning to think they may be able to steal a seat in the 37th, because of a McGrath poll that showed her in a dead heat with Strickland and a Republican poll that also indicated the race was pretty close--37% to 31%, with Strickland leading.

Sragow said he expects Strickland to hit McGrath hard with tough campaign ads over the next two weeks to try to open up a big lead and discourage potential Democratic givers.

But he said Assembly Democrats could give $300,000 to $400,000 to McGrath if polls in the next two weeks show she truly has a chance to win.

Superior Court Judge

In the race for the Superior Court seat vacated by the suspension of Judge Robert Bradley, prosecutor Kevin McGee holds a slight fund-raising lead over Deputy Public Defender Gary Windom.

McGee, a chief assistant district attorney, has raised $94,154, while Windom has raised $88,345, the reports showed.

Many of McGee’s contributions have come from fellow prosecutors. His largest donation, $14,300, was a personal loan to himself. Other contributions include $750 from the Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Assn., $505 from Superior Court Judge Colleen Toy White, $1,000 from rancher Chris Taylor and $500 from Limoneira.

Many of Windom’s contributions have come from fellow defense attorneys. His contributions included $7,685 in free office space from Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez; $3,000 from the Service Employees International Union, which represents most county workers; and $1,000 from Masry, the Thousand Oaks attorney.

County Assessor

In the campaign to replace retiring Assessor Glenn Gray, private appraiser Dan Goodwin has raised $99,211, more than twice as much as opponent Jim Dodd. Dodd, an 18-year assessor’s employee, had raised $45,124 through Sept. 30.

Dodd was his own largest donor, loaning his campaign $18,000. Likewise, Goodwin’s largest benefactor was himself, providing his campaign with a $29,000 loan.

“This Dan Goodwin, he’s a big supporter of mine,” Goodwin joked. “He really seems to believe in me.”

Thousand Oaks Council

Incumbent Councilman Andy Fox and Dennis Gillette, the Sheriff’s Department’s former top official in Thousand Oaks, lead the pack in campaign fund-raising for the Nov. 3 council election, raising more than $24,000 and $26,000 respectively, reports show.

Gillette has pledged to adhere to a voluntary $25,000 spending cap, so his fund-raising has outstripped his expected expenses. Fox has stopped short of pledging a voluntary spending limit, but has said that he has budgeted only $25,000 for his campaign, and so is less than $100 shy of his fund-raising goal.

“The show of support for my election to a second term on the City Council is gratifying,” said Fox, who has so far raised $24,941. “It is humbling to know so many local residents and small-business owners feel I am doing a good enough job to deserve reelection.”

The only other candidate whose numbers approach the fund-raising posted by Fox and Gillette is incumbent Councilwoman Judy Lazar, who raised about $14,000 during the first three months of her campaign, including $800 she loaned to herself.

Most other candidates posted modest contributions for the period.

Richard Messina has received $2,180, including $1,830 in loans to himself.

Planning Commissioner Dave Anderson has received $3,105, including a $1,000 loan to himself.

Marshall Dixon has received $1,225, including a $200 loan from his wife, Wilma.

Nick Quidwai has received $12,450, but $12,000 of that came from a personal loan to himself.

*

Chris Buckett has received $1,065.59, including a $1,000 loan to herself.

Wayne Possehl has received $5,365.33, including a $2,450 loan from himself. His contributors include Councilwomen Linda Parks and Elois Zeanah, who gave $250 each, as did Zeanah’s husband, James.

Dave Seagal posted less than $1,000 in contributions.

Financial disclosure forms for Dan Del Campo, Laura Lee Custodio and Nigel Greaves were not immediately available.

Times Community News reporter Andrew Steven Harris contributed to this story.