Free Republic

After spending more than $44 million in last year's special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election committee began 2006 in the red. Campaign statements filed late Tuesday show Schwarzenegger raised $2.5 million in 2005 for his re-election campaign, but spent $3 million. Although he has about $150,000 cash on hand, the Republican's re- election committee had debts of $556,000 as of Dec. 31. The two leading Democrats looking to challenge Schwarzenegger in November are flush with cash. State Treasurer Phil Angelides reported cash of $17 million, while state Controller Steve Westly has about $24 million _ aided by donations of $20...

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is entering his reelection campaign $410,000 in debt, while his Democratic rivals and union foes are armed with more than $50 million. He also continued supplementing his aides' government salaries by paying them additional sums in campaign money, according to campaign reports filed with the state Tuesday. --snip-- Although his opponents spent almost $100 million to defeat the initiatives Schwarzenegger championed in the November vote, many of them emerged with hefty bank accounts. Controller Steve Westly and Treasurer Phil Angelides, who are competing in the Democratic primary to face the Republican governor next November, started...