Vanilluxe
07-17-2015, 12:33 AM
http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Kamala-Harris-leading-in-polls-campaign-funds-in-6389637.php
Kamala Harris leading in polls, campaign funds in Senate race
By John Wildermuth Updated 5:19 pm, Thursday, July 16, 2015
The campaign cash is rolling in for Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris and Orange County Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez in their efforts to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer next year, but Harris’ early lead in the polls also has her ahead in the money race.
Harris, San Francisco’s former district attorney, took in $1.6 million in contributions between April 1 and June 30, according to federal campaign finance reports released this week. Sanchez, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, reported collecting $618,421 during that same quarter, after entering the race in mid-May.
“It was a very hectic 45 days, but our campaign has demonstrated tremendous fundraising potential in this short period,” Sanchez, 55, said in a statement. “Old and new friends have been very generous.”
Harris, 50, had an early start in the race, announcing her campaign in January, just days after Boxer said she would not run for re-election. As of June 30, she had just under $3 million in her campaign treasury, compared with about $1.1 million for Sanchez.
While a news release from the congresswoman’s campaign stated that she had raised “over $1 million in contributions,” that’s only technically true. Nearly half of the $1.1 million came from $516,000 Sanchez transferred from her congressional campaign account.
The finance report shows that Sanchez has plenty of work to do to challenge Harris, said Allan Hoffenblum, a former GOP consultant who publishes the California Target Book, which analyzes California political races.
Sanchez “hasn’t proved to be a threat as yet,” he said. That won’t change “unless she can prove she can raise more money than she has.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Harris will romp to victory, especially because it’s more than a year until the November 2016 general election.
“Her fundraising hasn’t been overwhelming ... and she’s not that well known in Southern California, where a lot of voters don’t identify with San Francisco progressives,” Hoffenblum said. “I believe we’ll see a third candidate get into the race.”
Any serious candidate for the Senate seat is likely to be a Democrat or a wealthy independent in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006.
Two Republicans, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez from Oceanside (San Diego County) and Tom Del Beccaro, a former state GOP chairman from Contra Costa County, also are running for Senate.
In a 2016 rematch for the South Bay’s 17th Congressional District seat, challenger Ro Khanna raised $452,000 in the three months ending June 30, while incumbent Rep. Mike Honda of San Jose took in $367,000. That leaves Khanna, a 38-year-old Fremont attorney, with about $1 million in the bank, compared with $360,000 for the 74-year-old Honda, who was first elected to Congress in 2000.
Honda beat Khanna, a fellow Democrat, 52 to 48 percent in 2014, and another tight race is likely.
“I doubt if money will be a factor one way or the other,” Hoffenblum said.
John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Kamala Harris leading in polls, campaign funds in Senate race
By John Wildermuth Updated 5:19 pm, Thursday, July 16, 2015
The campaign cash is rolling in for Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris and Orange County Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez in their efforts to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer next year, but Harris’ early lead in the polls also has her ahead in the money race.
Harris, San Francisco’s former district attorney, took in $1.6 million in contributions between April 1 and June 30, according to federal campaign finance reports released this week. Sanchez, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, reported collecting $618,421 during that same quarter, after entering the race in mid-May.
“It was a very hectic 45 days, but our campaign has demonstrated tremendous fundraising potential in this short period,” Sanchez, 55, said in a statement. “Old and new friends have been very generous.”
Harris, 50, had an early start in the race, announcing her campaign in January, just days after Boxer said she would not run for re-election. As of June 30, she had just under $3 million in her campaign treasury, compared with about $1.1 million for Sanchez.
While a news release from the congresswoman’s campaign stated that she had raised “over $1 million in contributions,” that’s only technically true. Nearly half of the $1.1 million came from $516,000 Sanchez transferred from her congressional campaign account.
The finance report shows that Sanchez has plenty of work to do to challenge Harris, said Allan Hoffenblum, a former GOP consultant who publishes the California Target Book, which analyzes California political races.
Sanchez “hasn’t proved to be a threat as yet,” he said. That won’t change “unless she can prove she can raise more money than she has.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Harris will romp to victory, especially because it’s more than a year until the November 2016 general election.
“Her fundraising hasn’t been overwhelming ... and she’s not that well known in Southern California, where a lot of voters don’t identify with San Francisco progressives,” Hoffenblum said. “I believe we’ll see a third candidate get into the race.”
Any serious candidate for the Senate seat is likely to be a Democrat or a wealthy independent in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006.
Two Republicans, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez from Oceanside (San Diego County) and Tom Del Beccaro, a former state GOP chairman from Contra Costa County, also are running for Senate.
In a 2016 rematch for the South Bay’s 17th Congressional District seat, challenger Ro Khanna raised $452,000 in the three months ending June 30, while incumbent Rep. Mike Honda of San Jose took in $367,000. That leaves Khanna, a 38-year-old Fremont attorney, with about $1 million in the bank, compared with $360,000 for the 74-year-old Honda, who was first elected to Congress in 2000.
Honda beat Khanna, a fellow Democrat, 52 to 48 percent in 2014, and another tight race is likely.
“I doubt if money will be a factor one way or the other,” Hoffenblum said.
John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth