Gallegly Widens Fund-Raising Lead Over Case

Facing a serious challenge for the first time since 1992, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) has widened his fund-raising advantage over Democratic challenger Michael Case, according to reports filed Monday.

Gallegly collected $250,000 during the last six months of 1999 and had $887,000 in available cash Dec. 31, while Case raised $203,000 and had $184,000 on hand at year end, including $62,000 he loaned himself, the candidates reported.

Gallegly, 55, said his fund-raising has never gone better.

“I’ve never had so many unsolicited campaign contributions,” the seven-term congressman said. “It’s been $50, $100, $500 and some $1,000 contributions this week from people I’ve never heard of before.”

For the last six months of 1999, Gallegly received $156,000 in individual contributions and $72,000 in political action committee donations. PAC contributions included $6,000 by Thousand Oaks biotech giant Amgen, $5,000 from a national Realtors group and $3,700 from Edison International.

Case, 53, president of the Ventura County Bar Assn., said he is slightly behind his money-raising goals because of two time-consuming, late-year civil trials. But he said he is not discouraged and expects to raise $1 million for the race.

“Remember, $200,000 is considerably more than the past three [Gallegly] opponents put together,” Case said. “But I’m not trying to make excuses. I’m back to doing my work. And with the exception of one [pending] trial, I’m spending my time on the campaign.”

Beyond his own money, Case drew most support from labor unions and lawyers. Union PACs contributed $23,000, while the nationwide trial lawyers association gave $5,000.

He also received considerable help from local attorneys, who collectively chipped in $36,650, and $8,700 from local farmers, a traditional base of support for Gallegly.

“I’ve only been in this race for a few months, and Elton’s been working on this for years,” Case said. “So I’m pretty proud of how much we’ve been able to gather up in this short period of time. What he and I have done is pretty comparable.”

The winner will represent the 23rd Congressional District, which includes Carpinteria and all of Ventura County except Thousand Oaks. It was nowhere on the Democrats’ radar screen a year ago and was generally considered a safe Republican seat.

But Case’s credentials and the strength of his early fund-raising have caught the attention of Democrats in Washington.

“He has a significant challenge in front of him, but he’s certainly doing everything right,” said Erik Smith, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “We’ll be watching very closely. He’s proven he’s got grass-roots support, strong organizational skills and the ability to raise campaign funds. We think that could result in a big surprise for a lot of people.”

Party help could flow for the fall general election if Case keeps it up, Smith said. “You don’t help someone unless they’re able to help themselves first, and he’s proving he’s able to help himself.”

First, Case must win the Democratic primary March 7 against political unknown Albert Goldberg, a real estate broker who lives in Ventura. Goldberg did not file a contribution report Monday.

Gallegly, a onetime real estate broker and former Simi Valley mayor, hasn’t really been tested since 1992, when Anita Perez Ferguson spent $750,000 in a campaign she lost, 54% to 42%.

Although Democrats have a slight edge in district voter registration, Gallegly has swept away all challengers since he overwhelmed comic Bob Hope’s son, Tony Hope, who had both money and name recognition, by 16 percentage points in the Republican primary in 1986.

This time, Gallegly said he doesn’t see any real support for Case beyond labor unions, which always support Democrats, and lawyers, who are predictably supporting one of their own.

“I don’t see it,” Gallegly said. “The Democrats want to pick up as many seats as they can, but so far his only indication of support is from big labor and trial lawyers. And that’s it.”

Seven local growers, including six Republicans, endorsed Case in November, saying they would not back Gallegly in part because he supports labor and trade policies that hurt Ventura County agriculture.

Case reported $8,700 in contributions from local farmers Monday, including $4,000 from county Farm Bureau President Robert Pinkerton and wife Donna of Santa Paula. Former Farm Bureau President Richard Pidduck and wife Helen gave $1,000. Allan Pinkerson of Ventura gave $1,000, and John and Robert Grether of Somis contributed $500 each. Los Arboles Nursery of Ventura gave $500, Saylor Milton of Ventura $500; Ronald White of Ojai $500 and Craig Underwood of Camarillo $200.

But Gallegly insists that his bedrock support from farmers remains virtually untouched.

“How many people does that $8,700 represent?” he asked. “If we’re talking about agriculture, a group of farmers came to us unsolicited and hosted this event the other day that raised $20,000, and there were 150 people present.”

Those contributions came this year, and were not included in Gallegly’s 1999 report. But the agricultural industry’s donations to the congressman totaled more than $10,000 last year.

Donors included tree farmers John Boething and wife Susan of Woodland Hills, $4,000; Santa Paula farmers Dan and Susan Pinkerton, $1,072; Saticoy farmer Paul Leavens, $666; Camarillo farmer Thomas Deardorff, $600; Saticoy Lemon Assn. President Glenn Miller, $600; Ventura farmer William Lucking Jr., $564; Oxnard farmer Debbie Ford, $500; Pierre Y. Tada, president of Limoneira Co., $449; and Robert Roy, president of the Ventura County Agricultural Assn., $365.

Case’s large contributions from PACs broke down this way: $5,000 from the Assn. of Trial Lawyers of America; and $5,000 each from the Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee, Service Employees International Union and the United Food & Commercial Workers International. He received about $8,000 more from other labor unions.

Among Case’s largest contributors were Charles and Juanita Brooks, owners of Tapo Rock and Sand in Simi Valley; Newhall land speculator Larry Rasmussen and wife Peggy Jean; television producers Joel and Diane Shukovsky of North Hollywood; Westlake lawyer Edward Masry and wife Joette; and Ventura auto products executives Mike Holzapfel and Robert A. Florine and their wives, Janet and Regina, respectively, and the firm’s chief executive, Gary Holzapfel. All 13 gave $2,000 each, the maximum allowed by law for the primary and general elections.

Case, a partner in the Ventura firm of Ferguson, Case, Orr, Paterson & Cunningham, received $8,750 from attorneys in his law firm and their families: John C. Orr and wife Stephanie, $2,000 each; Lou Carpiac, $1,000; Thomas Ferguson, $1,000; William Paterson, $1,000; Ruth Orr, $500; Gisele Goetz Erlach, $500; Robert L. Gallaway, $500; and Joseph Strohman, $250.

Ventura lawyer Peter Goldenring also donated $2,000. Ventura lawyer Terese A. Mosher Beluris and her husband, college instructor Stephen Beluris, each gave $1,000.

Other $1,000 donors included Simi Valley computer consultant Stuart Bechman; Los Angeles lawyer Mario Camara; Oxnard lawyer Michelle Hiepler; Ventura lawyer Thomas Hinkle; Ventura real estate investor John Hofer; Oak View environmental consultant Andrew Holguin; Oxnard lawyer Fred Rosenmund; retired businessman Ted Levenson; Westlake lawyer Phillip G. Panitz; Redlands lawyer Paul Shimoff; retired businessman Wayne Weyrich of Ojai; Jon S. Walluck of Simi Valley; retired nursery owner Franklyn K. Wilcox of Santa Barbara; and U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose.

Among Gallegly’s chief supporters for 1999 were religious broadcaster Edward Atsinger III, president of Salem Communications, and Mona Atsinger, both of Camarillo, $4,000; Agoura homemaker Roslyn Goodrow, $2,000; Barona Band of Mission Indians, $2,000; Calabasas advertising executive Tim Philen, $1,600; developer Sherryl Philen of Calabasas, $1,600; Kinko’s executive Paul Orfales, $1,500; Los Angeles packing company executive Larry Cohen, $1,500; Lawrence Zebrack, a Simi Valley executive, $1,400; rubbish company officer Don Goodrow, $1,349; Sherman Oaks real estate investor Florence Rosenberg, $1,182; and actor Larry Hagman, $998.

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In the political arena, Gallegly contributions came from former Assemblyman Brooks Firestone, $1,000; Norma Lagomarsino, wife of former Congressman Robert Lagomarsino, $1,000; Ventura County Auditor Thomas Mahon, $523; lobbyist John O’Donnell, $1,500; Washington executive David Turch, $1,081; and lobbyist Lynnette Jacquez, $1,000.

One Glendale family gave more than $5,000: restaurateurs Ralph and Hallie Cimmarusti, $2,000; Amalia Cimmarusti and Ann Cimmarusti, $1,000 each; and Larry Cimmarusti, $1,050.

Amgen executive Gordon Binder gave $1,000 to Gallegly; Marilyn Hogan of Pleasant Hawaiian Tours in Westlake Village donated $1,000; Westlake developer Robert Selleck gave $1,000; and Sherwood Country Club developer David Murdock gave $500.