Villaraigosa, Hahn Build Fund-Raising Momentum

By JIM NEWTON

Aug. 1, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

A surge in contributions to City Atty. James K. Hahn and former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has significantly tightened the financial side of the hotly contested race for mayor of Los Angeles, though businessman Steve Soboroff continues to lead in overall contributions, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday.

During the first six months of 2000, Hahn raised more than $1 million--more than in all of 1999--and managed to do it so frugally that he had $1.4 million in cash on hand as of June 30. By contrast, Soboroff, who shot out of the blocks last year, saw his contributions taper off considerably in early 2000. He raised $643,231 in the first half of the year, and now has about $1.3 million on hand.

Although he is the only candidate for mayor to have raised more than $2 million--and the only mayoral candidate ever to have raised that much this far from election day--Soboroff’s drop in contributions this year was as notable as Hahn’s increase. Soboroff, a commercial real estate broker and member of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission, raised $1.3 million in late 1999.

Equally significant, Villaraigosa, who out-raised Soboroff in the first half of the year, has pulled within a few hundred thousand dollars of his better-heeled rivals. According to the new reports, Villaraigosa has about $920,000 in cash.

What’s more, he raised it from a wide range of donors--from working people in South-Central to billionaire backers on the Westside--helping to boost his image as a candidate appealing to Los Angeles’ diverse and sometimes divided communities.

And still more impressive to some observers was that Villaraigosa has raised more than $600,000 of that money since April 15, when he relinquished his post as speaker of the California Assembly, one of the most powerful public offices in California.

Trailing far behind those politicians was U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), but his contributions also impressed observers. Becerra, who only joined the mayor’s race on Jan. 18, raised $587,000 in early 2000. His bank account for the fall now holds $556,000, though he also is running for reelection to Congress, so his totals do not reflect money that is going toward that effort.

In a news release accompanying his filing, Becerra’s campaign characterized the fund-raising figures as “beating the expectations of political pundits,” and even some of the rival campaign officials grudgingly agreed. Many had expected Becerra to find it rough going, given that he entered the campaign after the other candidates and has been forced to develop a base in a race that already features a prominent Latino candidate in Villaraigosa.

Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said the fund-raising by Becerra and Villaraigosa demonstrates that it was wrong for observers to suggest that the two men would block each other.

The candidate who raised the least money during the past six months was City Councilman Joel Wachs, whose good finish in recent public opinion polls did not translate into impressive fund-raising.

According to the councilman’s campaign filing, his campaign raised $317,210 during the first half of 2000. Since he began raising money earlier, he ended the period with a healthy sum in the bank, $717,055, but his tepid results for the period could reinforce doubts about his willingness to work hard enough to win.

Although all of the candidates are under scrutiny, Hahn’s contributions were the object of particular interest by political observers, as the city attorney generally has done well in polls but historically has not demonstrated much resolve in raising money.

In recent months, however, his campaign team has been joined by some of Los Angeles’ most driven and experienced fund-raisers, and their additions to his campaign appear to be paying off. Lawyer Bill Wardlaw, who helped engineer Richard Riordan’s mayoral victory in 1993 and his easier reelection bid in 1997, is working for Hahn. Wardlaw has brought on a number of Riordan loyalists, as well.

That has deepened a fissure within the so-called “Riordan family,” with some of the mayor’s other close friends and allies likewise deciding not to join him in supporting Soboroff. Billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle, two longtime friends and backers of Riordan, co-hosted a party for Villaraigosa earlier this year that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his campaign.

The Hahn campaign, meanwhile, is reporting contributions from a number of Riordan supporters, including some of his highest profile commission appointees. Ted Stein, who ran against Hahn in 1997 with Riordan’s endorsement, now is backing the city attorney. Riordan fired Stein from the Harbor Commission last week, and also removed another Hahn supporter, Leland Wong, from the Airport Commission.

But two members of the Police Commission, Bert Boeckmann and Raquel de la Rocha, have given to Hahn’s campaign, according to campaign reports. So has Rick Caruso, the developer whom Riordan appointed to replace Stein.

Ace Smith, the consultant guiding Soboroff’s campaign, acknowledged that Hahn’s fund-raising in recent months has improved considerably. But he downplayed its significance.

“He’s finally catching up,” Smith said of Hahn. “But even with all his efforts, he’s just barely drawn even with a guy who’s never run for public office.”

Although Soboroff is spending money faster than any other candidate, he remains the top fund-raiser, and he is well-positioned, at least financially, to take on Wachs, the candidate who many observers see as his first obstacle. Both Soboroff and Wachs are trying to establish themselves as heirs to a blend of San Fernando Valley moderates and conservatives, with enough support in the rest of the city first to force a runoff and then to prevail in a June election.

To do that, Soboroff needs to build name recognition, an area where his fund-raising and his personal fortune--he’s a multimillionaire--are invaluable. Wachs, who has held public office for decades, is far better known but lacks the personal wealth of Soboroff.

As the only openly gay candidate in the race, Wachs could attract national attention and contributions from the gay community. Although that could hurt the councilman with some conservative voters, it could help with others, and could elevate his campaign into a national cause, because no openly gay person has ever served as mayor of any American city as large as Los Angeles.

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Campaign Chests

The leading candidates for mayor of Los Angeles filed their latest campaign disclosure statements Monday. Below are contributions and expenditures from Jan. 1 through June 30, and total cash on hand.

* U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra

Contributions: $587,851

Expenditures: $35,351

Cash on hand: $556,185

* City Atty. James K. Hahn

Contributions: $1.07 million

Expenditures: $123,968

Cash on hand: $1.46 million

* Steve Soboroff

Contributions: $643,231

Expenditures: $483,380

Cash on hand: $1.28 million