Fundraising reports for November campaigns
Escondido City races
Huge loans by two candidates to their own campaigns have increased the likely cost of Escondido races to be decided in November. The North County Times reports that Tom D’Agosta has loaned his mayoral campaign $62,200. Jim Crone has loaned his Council campaign $40,300. The amounts of each loan far surpass what candidates have historically spent on the races, indicating that campaign costs are likely to be at record highs. The newspaper reports that the total raised to date for all campaigns is a record $235,900.
Read the complete story in North County Times.
50th District U.S. Congress
If Democrats hope to unseat incumbent Congressman Brian Bilbray in November, now is the time to get out those checkbooks. Reports from the Federal Elections Commission show that the Bilbray campaign had $587,581 in available cash as of June 30. Democratic challenger Francine Busby’s campaign had $190,310 in available cash as of the same date.
Read a brief story in North County Times.
California Governor
Campaign spending reports indicate Republican Meg Whitman has spent nearly $100 million in her effort to defeat Democrat Jerry Brown, who has $24 million, an amount that would have been quite respectable in a normal race. Brown says he is shocked he and Whitman are tied after all her spending, but concedes that her huge budget may “gain some ground” for her.