Donations here favor Ueberroth campaign

Lolita Harper

The area’s political muscle seems more inclined to support a former

major leaguer than a body builder, recall campaign finance statements

show, with one real estate tycoon batting for both sides.

People and companies in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach and Newport

Coast have given a total of $356,300 to candidate Peter Ueberroth in

his bid to unseat Gov. Gray Davis in California’s special election.

Ueberroth, a Laguna Beach resident who is running his campaign

headquarters in Costa Mesa, knew where to come for the money, as 15%

of his $2.2-million purse has come from area donations.

The leading organizer of the 1984 Olympics and former baseball

commissioner has garnered 14 top-dollar donations of $21,200 from

some of the biggest names in town, including Joan and Donald Beall;

Dorothy Bendetti; William Booth; Jeffrey Moorad; John, Gail, Vick and

Keri Ueberroth; and Frank O’Bryan. Developer James P. Baldwin gave

$20,000, as did investor Roger Kirwan, who is a main player at the

Orange County Performing Arts Center.

His colleague at the Center, Paul Folino -- along with wife

Daranne -- gave even more generously to candidate Arnold

Schwarzenegger, providing $42,400 to the Terminator’s campaign.

The Irvine Co.’s muscle was also split. Chairman Donald Bren

logged donations of $21,000 to Ueberroth -- who serves on the Irvine

Co.’s board of directors -- and to Schwarzenegger, who owns a home in

Sun Valley Idaho -- as does Bren.

Ueberroth, a registered Republican, is running as an independent

candidate with a bipartisan campaign team. Ueberroth has been widely

embraced as a serious candidate for the state’s top elected post,

Newport-Mesa political experts agree.

He faces an uphill climb against the Austrian immigrant who is

using his Hollywood clout to break into Sacramento. Schwarzenegger’s

star power has brought him numerous verbal and financial support.

Despite Newport Beach’s heavy backing of Ueberroth, Schwarzenegger

still leads in the bean count, with $3.1 million in his coffers.

Of the many local politicians to give Schwarzenegger verbal

support, only Rep. Chris Cox put his money -- or the money from his

Congressional Committee account -- where his mouth is. Cox’s

committee contributed $21,200.

The other major Schwarzenegger donors from the area were Willliam

Lyon of William Lyon Homes, who gave $21,200, and his wife, Willa

Dean Lyon, who matched the contribution.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.