With less than three weeks to go until the Nov. 4 General Election, political campaigns across the Westside have switched into top gear, with campaign funding already reaching $9 million and set to surpass the $10 million mark including late filings.
33rd Congressional District
The 33rd District includes Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Venice, Mar Vista, and the South Bay.
Ted Lieu
Current State Senator and former United States Air Force prosecutor, Democrat Lieu is leading the campaign race in the 33rd Congressional District, with $1,208,248 in contributions. According to filings, $979,072 came from itemized individual contributions, $166,741 from other committee’s contributions, and $55,000 in candidate loans. With net operating expenditure at $1,057,583, Lieu has a little more than $200,000 on hand.
“An overwhelming majority of my contributions are from individuals,” Lieu said. “I take pride in having a strong base of support in the Westside and the rest of Congressional District 33.
“We’ve had a great base of volunteers throughout this campaign who have carried our message across the district. Our office still gets calls every day from voters asking how they can help and for lawn signs to show their support.”
Elan Carr
Criminal gang prosecutor, Republican Carr has raised $824,319. A total of $777,786 came from itemized individual loans, $15,550 from other committee’s contributions, and $50,000 in candidate loans. With net operating expenditure at $578,735, Carr also has more than $200,000 on hand.
“A large amount of our donations are from in or around the district, and many are small donations,” said Carr’s campaign manager John Van Winkle. “It is important to have support from all across the district, and we do.”
“Most people are actually reaching into their pockets to make a difference,” he said, adding that it is imperative to have such support that reinforces platform ideas that mesh with the electorate.”
Source: Federal Election Commission. Contribution period: Jan. 1, 2014 – Sept. 30, 2014.
California State Senate, District 26
The 26th District includes Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island, and San Clemente Island.
Sandra Fluke
Leading the fundraising efforts, social justice attorney Fluke topped the District 26 table with a total $1,102,994.94 raised. Already spending $815,487.24, Fluke has more than $300,000 left to spend, not including late contributions, in a final race to the finish.
“I’ve worked tremendously hard to make it happen,” Fluke said, “but I’m living my values and funding my campaign in a grassroots way. I am incredibly proud that I now have more than 4,600 individual donors, with an average donation size of less than $250.”
Fluke said the majority of her campaign funding was within California.
“[The money] comes from me reaching out one-on-one to community members no matter their bank account,” she said.
“I’m also proud to have the support of small dollar contributors from across the country who know that California can play a leading role in creating progressive change.”
Ben Allen
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) board member and attorney, Allen came in second in campaign funding for the district with total contributions of $964,577.69. Spending $792,823.75, he still has more than $200,000 in the kitty.
“We’ve raised a lot of money from within the district,” explained campaign consultant Eric Hacopian, estimating that more than 55 percent of Allen’s funding was in-state and more than one third was from the district.
The amount of local funding indicates how responsive a candidate is to people within the district, as they have a vested interest in what’s going on, according to Hacopian.
“This race is an unusual race,” Hacopian added, “a contrast of local roots verses national profile.”
Source: Secretary of State. Contribution period: Jan. 1, 2014 – Sept. 30, 2014.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District
The 3rd District includes Santa Monica as well as Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, San Fernando, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, and a handful of unincorporated areas such as Agoura and Universal City.
Bobby Shriver
Advocate, entrepreneur, and former Councilman and Mayor of Santa Monica, Shriver served as California State Park and Recreation Commission Chairman and co-founded DATA, ONE and (RED) to fight poverty and prevent disease in Africa.
He has raised a massive $3,015,524.51 for his campaign with $19,999 in loans, $4,950 in non-monetary contributions, and $13,380.51 in miscellaneous increases to cash amounting to the total.
“My motivation is ‘to whom much is given, much will be expected,’” Shriver states on his website. “My two daughters are growing up here in L.A. County. I want to deliver to them and to the entire community, government that works.”
Sheila Kuehl
Currently serving as Founding Director of the Public Policy Institute at Santa Monica College, Kuehl served for eight years in the California State Senate and six years in the State Assembly. In 2008, she left the legislature under California’s term limits statute.
Kuehl has raised $1,840,718.95 in her run up to the election with non-monetary contributions of $16,733.16 and $5,378.83 miscellaneous increases to cash, amounting to the total.
“I want to use my years of experience to keep the county running smoothly, to work to fix some of the most difficult and intractable problems,” Kuehl states on her website.
“I have worked, listened, met, and served the people of this district from one end to the other, including work on many of the local issues for which the county is deeply responsible.”
Source: County Clerk, TRACCER. Contribution period: November 4, 2014 election.
