Valley incumbents roll in dough

House members' coffers full; most rivals not so lucky.

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006

WASHINGTON — That humming you hear is the sound of money flowing into the campaign coffers of San Joaquin Valley incumbents.

Without exception, newly filed statements show, the Valley's House members vacuumed up hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past three months. Most of their challengers weren't nearly as successful.

Only one challenger, Democrat Jerry McNerney, now appears ready to compete financially. For his race against Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, McNerney reports having $323,798 in available cash. While considerably less than Pombo's $1.1 million, McNerney's stockpile is enough to keep him viable through the November election.

The race between Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, and Democrat TJ Cox shows the more common fundraising disparity between incumbent and challenger.

Radanovich reports having $319,319 available as of Sept. 30, the new statements show. He's also free of any campaign debts. Cox, by comparison, reports having only $16,379 available to spend — and that's largely because he loaned his campaign an additional $111,000. Cox's campaign now reports owing a total of $434,750, mostly to cover the succession of loans he has made to his campaign.

"I think this tells you that there is no race, and there never has been a race," Radanovich's chief of staff, Ted Sell, said after analyzing the new campaign reports Monday.

This is also the time when challengers put the best possible light on the facts.

"TJ Cox is not financed by any party or special-interest group," Cox campaign manager Chase Wagner said. "Contributions from everyday people arrive in sums of $50 to $100, which can't possibly match the $5,000 contributions from Washington [political action committees] going to the incumbent."

Radanovich raised $187,205 during the past three months. Half of this came from political action committees, representing businesses ranging from Pfizer and Microsoft to the Modesto-based Western United Dairymen.

Cox raised $49,897 during the last three months, with $6,750 coming from several labor union PACs.

Radanovich's recent donors reflect a Who's Who of the San Joaquin Valley's political community, particularly from agricultural powerhouses like Fresno County grower John Woolf, Kings County grower Jack Stone and Madera County grower Price Giffen. From the northern San Joaquin Valley, E&J Gallo Winery executive J.E. Coleman and Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini recently pitched in as well.

"You've got to be able to generate support from the district if you're going to be a viable candidate," Sell said.

Wagner retorted that Cox's war chest is depleted only because the campaign prepaid for upcoming voter outreach efforts.

"What will determine the outcome is not money but votes on Election Day," Wagner said.

While scrambling for outside donors, Cox has also been using some of the money raised to pay himself back for past campaign loans. He used contributions to repay himself more than $51,000 for past loans since July, even as he upped the ante by loaning his campaign an additional $110,000.

Political professionals consider the third-quarter fundraising reports crucial evidence for the competitiveness of a race. The fundraising reports can also incite a self-fulfilling cycle, as pragmatic donors shun the underfunded and further endow the successful.

In this light, incumbent Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, are financially coasting to safe re-elections.

Cardoza reported having $249,011 available, while his Republican challenger, John Kanno, had not filed his required report by the Sunday deadline.

Nunes reported having $331,963 available, while Democratic opponent Steve Haze had $4,065.

Fresno Democrat Jim Costa does not have a Republican opponent.

Pombo relied upon political action committees for one-third of the $921,171 raised since July 1. McNerney, in a sign that political donors take his challenge seriously, raised $713,432 in just the last three months. PACs representing groups ranging from the Sierra Club and United Auto Workers pitched in $100,704 of McNerney's total.

McNerney's campaign touts its total as the most ever raised during a quarter by a Democratic challenger to Pombo.