Politics & Government
War Chests Revealed in Race for 72 Assembly Seat
Los Alamitos Mayor Troy Edgar has raised more money than rival since Jan. 1, but Huntington Beach businessman Travis Allen gained more in the past three months. Both have loaned a fair amount to their own campaigns.
In the election battle to represent Los Alamitos, Fountain Valley, Seal Beach and Rossmoor, Los Alamitos Mayor Troy Edgar has raised $134,000 more than his opponent since Jan 1., but Huntington Beach businessman Travis Allen has raised $89,000 more than Edgar during the past three months.
To be fair, some of the money raised by both candidates comes from loans the candidates made to their own campaigns.
Candidates Allen and Edgar are vying for the 72 Assembly District seat, which also includes Huntington Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Midway City.
Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, Edgar received $440,351.54 in contributions, $134,762 more than Allen’s $305,589.54, according to the latest campaign finance data from the California Secretary of State.
However, during the latest filing period -- July 1 through Sept. 30 -- Allan raised $89,091 more than Edgar: Allen raised $150,424.54, Edgar $61,333.54.
Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to the Loans Contributions page on the Secretary of State’s Website for each candidate, since Jan. 1 Edgar has loaned his own campaign $100,000 and Allen and his business have loaned his campaign $205,000.
Allen pushed ahead in the latest filing period by loaning at least $125,000 to the campaign between July 1 and Sept. 30.
The contest between the two candidates has been contentious to say the least.
Recently the two squared off at a tense debate in Fountain Valley during which Edgar called Allen a political novice and Allen called Edgar “a criminal.”
In response to the latest funding disclosures, in a press release the Allen campaign accused Edgar's campaign of "imploding" as Allen pulls ahead.
“We’ve run a lean campaign, saving our resources for Voter Contact,“ said Allen campaign manager Emanuel Patrascu in a written statement. “And it appears that by doing so, we are going to have more than twice as much to spend communicating with voters.”
However, Edgar said in a Tuesday night interview with Patch that his campaign fundraising is on schedule, and they’ve already canvased 90 percent of their targeted voter precincts.
“I feel good about the finances,” Edgar said with Patch. “We’re going to win by a large margin, just like we did in the primary.”
“I’m running this like a war room, and we’re going to win,” Edgar added.
As of Oct. 5, the Allan campaign has $112,745.89 on hand (contributions minus expenditures). Edgar has $79,158.36.
California law required the candidates to disclose their financial contributions and expenditures for July 1 through Sept 30 to the Secretary of State by Oct. 5.
In California, the maximum a person can donate to a candidate for the state Legislature is $3,900, and the maximum a small contributor committee can donate is $7,800. A political party can make unlimited donations, according to the latest information from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
Click the either of the two link below to see in-depth information on the two candidates financial activity.
REPORTING PERIOD
07/01/2012 - 09/30/2012
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THIS PERIOD
$150,424.54
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS 1/1/2012 - 09/30/2012
$305,589.54
EXPENDITURES FROM THIS PERIOD
$39,890.36
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 1/1/2012 - 09/30/2012
$197,027.88
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THIS PERIOD
$61,333.54
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS 1/1/2012 - 09/30/2012
$440,351.54
EXPENDITURES FROM THIS PERIOD
$79,158.36
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 1/1/2012 - 09/30/2012
$376,573.42
ENDING CASH
$78,428.19
Clarification: An earlier version of this story did not include the amount the candidates gave to their own campaigns in both the Jan. 1 through Sept. 30 and July 1 through Sept 30 time periods.
