REGION: Candidates flush as Election Day nears

Area congressional reps have plenty of cash as campaigns enter the stretch

By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer | Friday, October 17, 2008 8:09 PM PDT ∞

Congressional incumbents running in North San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County had plenty of money on hand to spend in the two weeks before Election Day, their latest campaign finance disclosure forms show.

In the most expensive race, North County 50th Congressional District candidate Nick Leibham had raised nearly $1 million through Sept. 30, while Brian Bilbray topped the $1 million mark.

Bilbray, the Republican incumbent, had raised $1,160,698 overall, including $261,671 between July 1 and Sept. 30.

The former county supervisor and Imperial Beach mayor and councilman, who also served in the House from 1995-2001, reported having $382,375 cash on hand as of the end of September.

Democrat Leibham, a former prosecutor, has raised an almost equal amount, reporting a total of $980,409. Most of his cash ---- $413,253 ---- came in between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to a financial disclosure report filed with the Federal Election Commission this week.

Leibham had $333,997 cash on hand at the end of September, the report showed.

A third candidate in the race, Libertarian Wayne Dunlap, said he is limiting his spending to $1,000 and was not required to file a report with federal election monitors.

49th District

In the 49th Congressional District race that includes much of North County and portions of Southwest Riverside County, incumbent Republican Darrell Issa of Vista had raised $919,615 and had $67,323 on hand as of Sept. 30, according to his financial disclosure report.

The 54-year-old Issa is one of the richest men in Congress; his wealth comes from a car alarm business he started and a variety of real estate and financial investments. He is seeking his fifth term representing Oceanside, Vista, Camp Pendleton, Fallbrook, Temecula, Lake Elsinore and the backcountry around Lake Henshaw.

Issa's Democratic opponent, Fallbrook's Robert Hamilton, 62, has raised $34,910 since launching his effort and had $19,926 cash on hand as of Sept. 30, according to his report.

The third candidate in that race, Libertarian Lars Goldsmith, 49, has no record on file with the Federal Election Commission.

52nd District

In the only local congressional race that doesn't have an incumbent, the son of the man who now holds the seat was far ahead in the money race as of Sept. 30.

Republican Duncan D. Hunter, who is seeking to replace his father, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, in the district that includes portions of Poway and Ramona, reported having raised $1,130,867, with $321,507 in available cash.

The younger Hunter, a 31-year-old Marine reservist, is being challenged by Democrat Mike Lumpkin, a 43-year-old former Navy SEAL, and by Libertarian Michael Benoit.

Lumpkin's financial disclosure report, filed this week, showed he had raised $362,459 and had $36,884 in available cash as of Sept. 30.

Hunter's fundraising prowess is in part the result of his father's close ties with San Diego County's defense industry, political observers have noted.

The younger Hunter has received more than $30,000 from defense industry political action committees. The candidate told the Washington Times newspaper this week that those contributions, however, are a small fraction of the total he has raised from more than 4,000 contributors overall.

Benoit, a 57-year-old businessman, has said he intends to spend less than $5,000 and thus is not required to file with the Federal Election Commission.

45th District

In the 45th Congressional District that represents portions of Southwest Riverside County, incumbent Republican Mary Bono Mack has a huge cash advantage over Democratic challenger Julie Bornstein.

Bono Mack's financial report showed she had raised $1,579,460 overall this election cycle and had $462,548 in cash to spend as of Sept. 30.

Bono Mack is running for her fourth term since winning an April 1998 special election to fill the seat her husband, Sonny Bono of the Sonny and Cher singing duo, had held since 1994. He died in a January 1998 skiing accident.

Bornstein, a former state assemblywoman and former deputy state controller, has raised a total of $418,232 for her campaign and had $179,308 cash on hand as of Sept. 30.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.