Laura Friedman, Ardy Kassakhian criticize, defend contributions in state Assembly race
Councilwoman Laura Friedman in her bid for state Assembly has out-fundraised opponent City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian in the final months leading up to election day on Tuesday, but Kassakhian said he is critical of her contributions from California’s Bay Area.
Since the beginning of the year, Friedman has amassed $303,702 in campaign contributions, while Kassakhian raised $199,321, according to the Secretary of State’s financial records.
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But overall, dating back to when both of their campaigns were formed in 2014, Kassakhian has raised the most money with a war chest of roughly $685,000 to Friedman’s $665,000, records show.
Local businesses and unions have been significant contributors to both of their bids to succeed Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) in the 43rd District.
Friedman received $4,200 from Pacific BMW, for example, while Kassakhian managed to draw $4,200 from Raffi’s Place.
Both have also received union support: the United Nurses Assn. of California gave Friedman’s campaign $4,200, while the Local 770 United Food and Commercial Workers Union chipped in $4,200 toward Kassakhian’s bid.
The councilwoman says her boost in donations came from active campaigning.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time speaking to voters all across the district, and people are responding to my track record and my priorities,” Friedman said.
But Kassakhian says his opponent is getting support from special interest groups outside the 43rd District, mainly situated in the Bay Area.
About $120,000 contributed to Friedman’s campaign in recent months have come from cities such as San Francisco and Palo Alto.
“Anyone looking at those numbers can clearly see where the special interests are coming from, who want to purchase this seat that really belongs to the residents and voters of the 43rd assembly district,” Kassakhian said.
Most of that money from up north, however, is coming from tech-industry investors who are looking for someone with a “degree of political independence” to be elected to the state, said Parke Skelton, Friedman’s campaign manager.
Among the Bay Area contributors is the billionaire Fisher family, of which Doris Fisher is one of the founders of the Gap clothing company, and Robert Fisher serves as chairman. The Fishers donated $29,400 to Friedman’s camp, according to state financial records.
Skelton said the only group Friedman has met with from up north is called Govern for California.
Friedman’s campaign manager in return criticized Kassakhian’s campaign for receiving more than $420,000 in independent expenditures, nearly all from the California Assn. of Realtors and the California Apartment Assn.
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“The real estate lobby has spent time fighting against any attempt to restrict urban sprawl or protect open space. That’s probably a more problematic special interest than whoever is supporting Laura,” he said.
Independent expenditures are made by organizations that campaign for a candidate they favor. They do not donate money to a candidate, so the person running has no control over how the money is spent.
Kassakhian said Realtors are backers of quality neighborhoods and that’s why the Realtors and apartment association are backing him.
In recent weeks, Kassakhian was critical of the more than $1.2 million of independent expenditures spent by the Parent Teacher Alliance, which is sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn., in favor of campaigning for Friedman.
When it came to money spent by the candidates’ campaigns, Kassakhian has spent $247,179, while Friedman spent $145,345.
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Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com
Twitter: @ArinMikailian
