Late infusion of union cash helped pro-Kuehl campaign

A Times analysis of fundraising in the hard-fought battle to replace longtime Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky shows how the money chase seesawed before a late infusion of union cash helped backers of Sheila Kuehl close the gap with supporters of Bobby Shriver.

Kuehl, a former state lawmaker and a former TV series star, won Tuesday’s election by garnering 53% of the vote in an unofficial final count. She’ll take her seat on the five-member board next month representing an area from Santa Monica to San Fernando

Kuehl, Shriver and independent committees supporting their campaigns raised a total of more than $9.6 million through the course of the campaign. The analysis shows much of the money came in bursts: personally from Shriver, then from wealthy friends and business and investment interests backing Shriver, and finally from public employee unions supporting Kuehl.

By the time Shriver, a former Santa Monica city councilman and nephew of President Kennedy, entered the race in January, Kuehl had collected more than $400,000. That early money came from a diverse range of small donors in the legal, education, entertainment and a host of other professions, the analysis shows.

Jump-starting his fundraising, Shriver gave $300,000 to his campaign committee. Other donations by Shriver brought his personal contribution total to more than $1 million.

Shriver extended his fundraising lead between June and August by tapping thousands of high-profile friends, business associates and family members for smaller contributions — often the $1,500 maximum allowed to the committee he controlled. His election effort also was aided through the summer by at least three Super PACs. They independently took in hundreds of thousands of dollars, often in contributions of $10,000 or more from donors with interests in real estate, entertainment and financial services.

By early October, pro-Shriver committees had close to half a million dollars more than the pro-Kuehl groups.

Shriver continued raising money, but a late, lopsided surge of donations, largely from organized labor, rapidly closed the gap for the Kuehl forces.

Between Sept. 19 and this week, pro-Kuehl committees took in more than $3 million, helping finance a final wave of advertising and campaign mailers. Among those contributions were more than $1 million from county sheriff’s deputy and firefighter groups.

In the end, union-affiliated donors contributed more than $2.8 million to help elect Kuehl, out of a total of $4.7 million collected by committees backing her. Individuals and companies associated with the real estate, financial services and entertainment industries donated more than $1.7 million to support Shriver’s bid, out of a total of $4.9 million raised.

maloy.moore@latimes.com