ELECTIONS CONGRESS : Incumbents Have Plenty of Funds

Ventura County’s two congressmen have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars more in campaign contributions than their challengers, according to recent reports, further bolstering their reelection prospects despite the much-touted anti-incumbent mood sweeping the nation.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) has raised $324,368 this year and has $211,798 on hand. His opponent, Democrat Richard D. Freiman of Agoura, reports raising $9,035.

Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura), the county’s other congressman, has raised $273,831 and has $155,279 in cash to finance radio and television ads and campaign mailers in the final days before the Nov. 6 election.

Lagomarsino’s opponent, Democrat Anita Perez Ferguson, has done better than most challengers by raising $115,127 through Sept. 30. Yet, expenses had reduced her cash to $22,730 for her final appeal to the voters, according to finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Sam Rodriguez, Ferguson’s campaign manager, said his candidate has attracted an infusion of contributions in recent weeks since she filed the campaign report. He said Ferguson has about $70,000 for campaign mailers, radio and television ads.

But Bob Wickers, a consultant to Lagomarsino’s campaign, said he and his staff have found no evidence that Ferguson has bought any significant amount of radio or television time to broadcast her message.

Lopsided spending in congressional races is not unique to Ventura County.

Earlier this month, Common Cause, the political reform group, reported that only 23 of the 405 House members seeking reelection face opponents who had raised even half of what the incumbents could spend. Of the rest, 78 have no major party opposition and 218 have opponents who raised less than $25,000 as of Sept. 30.

With a 98% average reelection rate, most congressional incumbents represent districts considered so safe and face so little active opposition that they spend only a fraction of their large stockpile of funds.

Some dip into their treasuries for non-campaign costs, such as travel, staff meals, charitable donations and contributions to other candidates.

In large part, the incumbent advantage comes from special-interest money channeled through political action committees, or PACS.

For example, Gallegly received $74,987, or 23% of his total, from PACs. The list of these corporate donors includes $3,000 from Litton Employees PAC and $1,500 from the American Medical PAC. He also received $1,000 from the Aircraft Owners PAC; BUILD PAC; the Cooperative of American Physicians PAC; the National Restaurant Assn. PAC; Transamerica Insurance PAC and the Women’s Alliance for Israel PAC.

Lagomarsino also received a large number of contributions from PACs, including $3,000 from Raytheon’s PAC; $1,400 from Pacific Gas & Electric’s Federal Good Government Fund; and PAC donations from the employees of Hughes Aircraft, General Dynamics, Dow Chemical, Manville Corp., Bank of America and Philip Morris.