House campaigns are close in cash

Alicia Robinson

Money hasn’t played a large role yet in the Republican primary race

for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s congressional seat, but it might soon.

Rohrabacher and his opponent, former Rep. Bob Dornan, began 2004

with a combined total of about $355,000, according to Federal

Elections Commission reports filed last week. As of Dec. 31, the two

candidates had spent about $134,000 between them during the election

cycle.

Rohrabacher reported raising nearly $26,000 between Oct. 1 and

Dec. 31, bringing his cash total at the end of 2003 to almost

$168,000.

Dornan listed just $700 in contributions for the same period. But

he closed out the year ahead of Rohrabacher with $187,000 in cash, having loaned himself $150,000 of that total.

“He wanted to send a loud and clear message that he would put his

money where his mouth is,” said Mark Dornan, Bob Dornan’s son, who is

managing his campaign.

Nine months remain until the general election, and right now, it

doesn’t feel like a contested primary is just four weeks away. Until

a fundraiser held Friday with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,

Rohrabacher’s coffers weren’t much fatter than when he ran

uncontested in the 1998 primary, and Dornan’s contributions come in

well below his fundraising efforts in previous elections.

Federal Election Commission reports show that in 1997, leading up to the spring primary, Rohrabacher reported raising a little less

than $127,000. He beefed up his fundraising later, reporting a total

of nearly $317,000 collected in the 1997-98 election cycle.

During the same period, Dornan’s figures were much higher. He

reported raising almost $1.5 million in 1997 and a total of $3.7

million for the election cycle.

But the race is warming up now. Though Rohrabacher generally

doesn’t raise much money for his campaigns, he raised about $300,000

Friday at the Huntington Beach event with Schwarzenegger.

“I figured that I’m in a substantial race this time,” he said.

“[Dornan] is a very aggressive opponent, so I expect him to come on

strong, and I have to be prepared for that.”

Dornan would be calling on supporters for funding as the election

draws closer, his son said.

“My father’s support across this country and in Orange County is

real widespread,” Mark Dornan said. “A lot of this money will flow in

in the next couple of weeks and toward the end of the election. The

question is, how will we spend it all.”