Delgadillo, Feuer Each Attract $500,000 in City Attorney Race

Two of the leading candidates for Los Angeles city attorney have raised well over half a million dollars apiece, the latest campaign finance reports revealed Wednesday.

Flush with donations from real estate and business interests, Rocky Delgadillo, deputy mayor for economic development, had raised $592,243 by year’s end, nosing past City Councilman Mike Feuer, who had collected $557,738 since beginning the race nearly two years ago.

While their treasuries do not approach the levels being amassed in the mayor’s race, Delgadillo and Feuer are the leading fund-raisers among candidates in Los Angeles’ “down ticket” contests, which include city controller and seven council seats.

The latest reports, required to be sent to the city Ethics Commission by Wednesday, cover the period from July 1 through Dec. 31. But the reports only have to be postmarked by the deadline and therefore not all were available Wednesday.

In hotly contested San Fernando Valley races, reports showed Tom Hayden lagging far behind in fund-raising for a City Council seat, while Francine Oschin was ahead in the money contest in her West Valley council race.

Among city controller candidates, City Councilwoman Laura Chick reported raising $355,285 since starting her campaign treasury in late 1999.

Of that total, $80,825 was collected in the last half of the year. She had $250,886 left to spend at year’s end.

Businesswoman Laurette Healey, recruited by Mayor Richard Riordan for the race, did not begin raising money until this year and therefore had no report to file this period. Healey said Riordan has already begun to help her raise money.

Reports for former City Treasurer J. Paul Brownridge were not available Wednesday.

In the city attorney’s race, Delgadillo, who oversees Riordan’s efforts to attract and retain businesses, raised $319,781 in the second half of last year. He had nearly $461,000 available to spend on the April 10 primary election.

Flow Has Been Slow for Feuer Contributions

Although Feuer got an earlier start in raising money, it has flowed in at a somewhat slower pace--he collected $202,496 during the latest reporting period. He reported a closing cash balance of $408,513.

Feuer’s campaign consultant, Larry Levine, said the councilman’s refusal to accept money from lobbyists and political action committees has made fund-raising more challenging.

Because Delgadillo and Feuer intend to accept public matching funds, both will be held to a $990,000 spending cap in the primary, meaning each will have about the same to spend on the campaign, Levine said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Leah Purwin D’Agostino raised $158,076 by year’s end, including $71,853 this period and had $87,649 left to spend. Documents for a fourth candidate, Deputy Dist. Atty. Frank Tavelman, were not available Wednesday.

Previously, Tavelman had reported raising $1,000.

Reports in some of the open City Council races offered some surprises, including in the Westside-San Fernando Valley Fifth District, where former state Sen. Tom Hayden was expected to have a lot to spend in the crowded contest to succeed Feuer.

But reports showed Hayden far behind fund-raising leader Jack Weiss, a former federal prosecutor, and trailing four other contenders as well.

Weiss reported raising $186,044 in the campaign. Hayden reported raising $79,000, including $21,000 he loaned his campaign, but the former legislator said he is prepared to step in with additional loans to match what his competitors spend as election day approaches.

“I’m totally confident I will be able to raise enough money and pay back the loans,” Hayden said.

Hayden entered the race in September, while Weiss began fund-raising five months earlier.

Weiss said the reports show the strength of his candidacy.

“It shows that people have been receptive to my message,” Weiss said. “They want constructive, positive leadership.”

Because he plans to put more than $30,000 of his own money into the campaign, Hayden is not accepting public matching funds and is not bound by the $330,000 spending limit facing Weiss and other matching-fund recipients.

Hayden said his intent is to voluntarily abide by the spending limit, but said he is prepared to go beyond it if there are independent expenditure campaigns launched against him.

Hayden, who moved to Sherman Oaks to run for the council seat, said he is confident he will raise enough to set his candidacy apart in the crowded field of 11 contenders.

Others who reported raising more than Hayden included Ken Gerston, a Sherman Oaks businessman, who brought in $117,000, including $25,000 in loans; Robyn Ritter Simon of West Los Angeles, who reported raising $114,817, including loans of $25,000, and West Los Angeles community activist Laura Lake, who raised $97,902, including $24,000 in loans.

West Los Angeles businessman Steve Saltzman raised $88,000, including $24,000 in loans, but said he and others will soon get a major infusion of city matching funds.

Among the candidates, including Saltzman, there was surprise that Hayden has not raised more money. “Either he is pretty lazy or his support is weak,” Saltzman said.

In the Valley’s Third District, council aide Francine Oschin had outpaced the seven other candidates. She had collected $120,319 in the campaign so far and had cash on hand of $110,792 with debts of $10,000. Next was former council aide Judith Hirshberg, who had raised $79,803, including $18,000 in loans.

Miscikowski Has Huge Lead in Money Race

Contributors to Hirshberg included Rep. Jane Harman (D-Torrance), former Rep. Anthony Beilenson and Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills).

Businesswoman Tsilah Burman of Woodland Hills raised $54,720 and ended the period with $19,878 in the bank and $6,000 in outstanding debts.

Dennis Zine, a West Hills police sergeant, reported raising $41,720, with outstanding debts of $15,000.

Contributions to Zine included $2,000 from auto dealer Bert Boeckmann and five Boeckmann family members.

In the 11th Council District, incumbent Cindy Miscikowski has a huge fund-raising lead over two challengers. Miscikowski has raised $173,185 so far and has $120,000 cash on hand.

In comparison, challenger Arthur Mortell has raised $16,375 and had $10,777 in the bank. The third candidate, Eli Shtrum, has not filed the papers required to begin fund-raising yet.

Top fund-raiser in the Hollywood/Silverlake area’s 13th District was former Assemblyman Scott Wildman with $120,037.

He and three others raised more than former Councilman Mike Woo, who reported $73,398. Woo gave up the seat to run, unsuccessfully, for mayor in 1993.

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Times staff writer Tina Daunt contributed to this story.