Hahn tops $1 million in race for Congress

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Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has raised more than $1 million in her race for Congress in a July 12 special election, while businessman Craig Huey is relying on his personal bankroll for most of his campaign funds, reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission showed.

Hahn, a Democrat running to succeed former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), had collected $1,097, 461 by the June 22 end of the latest campaign finance reporting period. She reported having $323,348 left to spend and had not taken out any loans. After the reporting period closed, she received an additional $5,000 from DRIVE, a political action committee in Washington, D.C.

Huey, a Republican backed by “tea party” activists, lent his campaign an additional $195,000 during the latest reporting period, from April 28 through June 22. That brought the total amount in loans he made to his campaign $695,000. His earlier loans, totaling $500,000, gave him the biggest war chest in the 16-candidate special primary in May and helped him get into the runoff.

In addition to the loans to himself, Huey had raised $144,120 by the end of the reporting period, bringing his total campaign fund to $839,514. He had $56,526 left in his treasury.

But Huey, too, has continued to add to his coffers since the latest reporting period, notices filed with the FEC showed. On June 24 he donated $100,000 to campaign. He also has received $5,000 from the California Republican Party and $10,000 from others in the last few days.

A substantial chunk of Hahn’s contributions come from developers, lobbyists and others with business at City Hall. But she also has had help raising money from prominent Democratic leaders, including former President Bill Clinton, Emily’s List, which supports pro-choice, Democratic women candidates, and others. Organized labor also is providing help with precinct walks, telephone banks and efforts to turn out the vote among its members.

The race for the South Bay-based 36th Congressional District, which runs largely along the coast from Venice to San Pedro, has grown increasingly contentious, with each camp slamming the other in cable TV spots and political mailers.

Democrats hold an 18-point registration edge in the district but Huey believes his cut-government-spending message will resonate with voters and derides her as a ‘career politician.’ Hahn says his views are too extreme for most.

--Jean Merl