Posted on 04/18/2002 4:16:48 PM PDT by Saundra Duffy
Monteith holds cash advantage on Cardoza
Pombo far ahead of Democratic opponent
By Nancy Price
Record Staff Writer
Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza had to dig deep into his campaign treasury to defeat incumbent Gary Condit in the 18th Congressional District Democratic primary in March, federal elections reports show.
Meanwhile, 11th District incumbent Richard W. Pombo continued to build a huge fund-raising lead over his Democratic opponent, Danville attorney Elaine Dugger Shaw, according to April quarterly reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Republicans noted somewhat gleefully this week that state Sen. Dick Monteith, R-Modesto, outraised Cardoza more than 2-to-1 since the March 5 primary and has more than twice as much cash on hand in his campaign treasury as Cardoza.
But throughout the entire six-week reporting period that ended March 31, Cardoza, D-Merced, raised nearly $199,000, compared with nearly $140,000 raised by Monteith, FEC reports show.
Cardoza spent nearly $240,000 to win the primary, compared with $83,000 spent by Monteith.
Monteith benefited hugely from a 12-day fund-raising effort at the end of March that netted more than $100,000, Bob Rucker, his chief of staff, said Wednesday.
National Republicans are keeping a close eye on the 18th District, said Lea Anne McBride, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"When you've got a candidate like Monteith, who already represents 74 percent of the district, (the gap in fund raising is) a huge advantage coupled with polling numbers a month ago that showed a dead-even race," she said. "To have that advantage is huge. It is going to be a hard-fought race."
Cardoza can turn up the fund-raising heat later as needed, campaign manager Doug White said.
Cardoza and his campaign staff did not focus on fund raising immediately after the primary, White said, because staffers and the candidate were recovering from a primary that had drawn national attention because of Condit's relationship with missing intern Chandra Levy and pitted Cardoza against his former friend and mentor.
"When June comes around, I think you'll see a very different kind of result," White said.
Democrats remain confident that the redrawn 18th District, which now includes more than half of Stockton and stretches from San Joaquin County to Fresno County, will remain on the Democratic side of the aisle in the House of Representatives, he said.
Republicans, meanwhile, have stated their intention do whatever it will take to convert the 18th District to a GOP seat. Monteith's contributions include $5,000 donations from Americans for a Republican Majority, the California Republican Party and the Keep Our Majority PAC, $2,000 from the Majority Leader's Fund and $4,000 from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
In the 11th District, redrawn to take in in about half of San Joaquin County and portions of three East Bay counties, Pombo, R-Tracy, continued his strong pace of fund raising, collecting nearly $198,000 in the six-week reporting period, compared with $99,000 for Shaw.
Seven months before the general election, Pombo's campaign treasury contains $440,000. Shaw, making her first run for public office, had $92,000 in her treasury as of March 31.
* To reach reporter Nancy Price, phone 546-8276 or e-mail nprice@recordnet.com
Go Monteith!
Perhaps this bump will bring them around....
I am.
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