Politics & Government

Hahn and Huey Have Most Cash on Hand Heading Into Campaign's Final Days

Among the Democratic contenders in the 36th Congressional District race, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn leads in fundraising for the May 17 election with Craig Huey leading the Republicans.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has twice as much cash to spend as rival Democratic candidate Secretary of State Debra Bowen ahead of the May 17 election in the 36th Congressional District, according to figures released Friday by the Federal Election Commission.

Hahn, who has raised $423,719 since launching her campaign, reported cash on hand of $237,772 at the end of the April 1-27 filing period. Bowen has raised $338,159 so far and reported cash on hand of $103,615 at the end of the period.

Republican candidate Craig Huey has raised the most money overall with contributions and loans of $515,905 and reported having $198,822 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period. Huey's campaign war chest has been filled primarily with borrowed money. He listed a $250,000 loan in this reporting period and a $250,000 loan in the prior period.

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A total of 16 candidates are competing in the special election to fill the seat left vacant when longtime Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) resigned in February to join a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The 36th Congressional District includes Manhattan Beach, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Del Rey, Venice, Mar Vista, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and surrounding communities. If no candidate gets a majority of the primary vote, a runoff election will be held July 12.

Public school teacher and anti-war activist Marcy Winograd, who gained 41 percent of the vote against Harman in the June Democratic primary, has raised $73,575 and reported having $25,976 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.

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Republican candidate and Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin reported raising $132,722 for his campaign and had cash of $23,549. His campaign also included $20,000 in loans.

Hahn has been the beneficiary of independent expenditures by a doctors' group called the Cooperative of American Physicians. The group has filed three reports showing that it has spent more than $75,000 on mailings in support of Hahn. Independent expenditures allow groups to spend unlimited amounts on behalf of campaigns as long as they do not coordinate with the campaign. The three filings by the physicians' group are the only independent expenditures reported so far in the campaign.

Republican candidate Steve Eisele, of Marina del Rey, reported raising $35,591 since the start of his campaign and had cash on hand of $8,765 at the end of the reporting period. Fellow GOP candidate Redondo Beach City Attorney Mike Webb reported raising $35,999 and had cash on hand of $5,896.

The 36th District skews Democratic with 45 percent of its roughly 345,000 voters registered as Democrats, compared with 27 percent registered as Republican and 22 percent saying they decline to state their party preference, according to the California Secretary of State's office.

The election should be the first real application of the state's new "top two" election system, which went into effect Jan. 1 after voters endorsed the changes in June when they passed Proposition 14. Under the new rules, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, then the top two finishers will face each other in the July special general election, even if they are from the same party.


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