Governor closes in on $50 million target for election campaign

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 10/27/05 | Tom Chorneau - ap

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has almost achieved his goal of raising $50 million for the Nov. 8 special election, according to campaign records released Thursday.

But a coalition of unions opposed to the governor's ballot measures has raised and spent more than twice Schwarzenegger's total.

The governor's campaign committees have raised close to $45 million so far this year, according to campaign statements and Marty Wilson, the governor's fund-raising manager.

Schwarzenegger raised nearly $16 million between his announcement late last month that he would seek re-election next year and last Saturday, the end of the period covered by the most recent campaign finance reports.

The governor's California Recovery Team campaign committee showed a balance of nearly $4 million and debts of about $1 million.

"Our fund-raising has gone better than we expected," said Wilson. "But the unions are still going to outspend us more than two-to-one."

The California Teachers Association - the leading source of money for the Alliance for a Better California - has raised and spent about $45 million just since July on the campaign.

That money comes in addition to another $8.2 million the union spent during the first half of the year on ads, rallies and other activities, most of which was directed at Schwarzenegger's special election agenda.

Along with the Service Employees International Union, firefighters, nurses and other labor groups - the Alliance for a Better California has spent more than $115 million so far.

Schwarzenegger is pushing four measures in the upcoming election that would make it harder for teachers to get tenure, cap state spending, redraw legislative and congressional districts and put restrictions on the use of union dues for political purposes.

The labor groups are opposing the governor on all four issues.

Meanwhile, the nation's biggest pharmaceutical companies have spent close to $70 million this year on two ballot measures that are also on the special election ballot.

Proposition 78, backed by the companies, would allow them to voluntarily provide discounted prescription drugs. Proposition 79, opposed by the companies, would mandate discounts for uninsured Californians making up to four times the federal poverty level.

[calcowgirl]

Prop 78 was part of Schwarzenegger's reform package that he announced in January and had introduced in the legislature. With all the voicemails and fliers I'm getting from he and Dufus supporting Prop 78, why don't they include that in his total tally?

That adds another $112 million all on its own!

[Carry_Okie]

That adds another $112 million all on its own!

You weren't supposed to notice that.