HAHN FOR MAYOR
18553 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356

Funds Adding Up for April Elections

FEBRUARY 01, 2001
LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

Campaign fund raising continued at a torrid pace, with the major candidates for mayor raising nearly $8 million in cash for the April 10 election as the city Ethics Commission said it expects to exhaust its $2 million matching fund program, according to reports released Wednesday.

The race for mayor showed City Attorney James Hahn ahead of his five other leading rivals, having raised a total of $2.47 million since he began his fund-raising effort two years ago.

Hahn reported having raised more than $772,000 in the six-month period between July 1 and Dec. 31.

He enters this next period with $2.06 million in cash on hand – some $700,000 more than his nearest competitor, without including the matching funds to which he is entitled.

Ethics Commission officials announced they expect to use their entire matching fund budget in the campaign because of the level of fund raising and the number of candidates seeking matching funds.

Eighty-two of the 97 candidates eligible have indicated they will take matching funds.

Trailing Hahn in fund raising was businessman and Parks Commissioner Steve Soboroff, the only major candidate to reject matching funds. Soboroff has raised some $2.5 million for his campaign, including $516,000 for this past six-month period. He has $1.36 million in cash on hand.

Councilman Joel Wachs, who has a New York fund-raising trip planned next week, has raised some $1.7 million in the campaign, including $473,000 for this past period. He has $1.08 million in cash on hand.

State Controller Kathleen Connell, who did not declare her candidacy until the middle of September, reported raising $749,000 during that period and has $700,000 in cash.

Rep. Xavier Beccera reported raising $757,800 and has $610,000 in cash on hand. He also raised nearly $600,000 for his congressional campaign last year.

Earlier this month, former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa reported raising more than $1.5 million for his campaign - $491,000 in the most recent period – and had a cash balance of $1.2 million.