Political newcomer Ron Hurd led the pack running for Carpinteria
City Council by collecting nearly $14,000 in campaign
contributions. Hurd – a retired sheriff’s lieutenant backed by the
Republican Party – donated half of that sum himself. Coming in a
close second was Al Clark, a longtime slow-growth advocate who
raised nearly $13,000. Outspoken Libertarian Greg Gandrud raised
$8,488, $1,300 of which came from the Lincoln Club, a Republican
PAC, and $250 of which was donated by Sempra Energy. Gregg Carty, a
housing contractor, raised $7,085, of which $500 came from 1st
District Supervisor Salud Carbajal. Carbajal gave most generously
to Mayor Brad Stein – now running for a fifth term – with a
donation of $4,900. Stein also received $3,900 from the Santa
Barbara Women’s Political Committee.

Sheriff Jim Anderson raised $311,000 in his quest for a second
term, while his rival, Lompoc Police Chief Bill Brown, amassed
campaign donations of $184,000. Anderson loaned his campaign
$70,000, while Brown extended his campaign $10,000. Brown’s father
has emerged as the single biggest donor to the race, giving his son
$21,500 to defeat Anderson. Chris Edgecomb, a former Sheriff’s
Council president hostile to Anderson, kicked in another $20,000.
Edgecomb complained that Anderson had pressured him not to file a
complaint after he’d been slapped and pushed around in Anderson’s
presence by another Sheriff’s Council executive loyal to Anderson.
The sheriff has denied the claim, saying that Edgecomb was part of
a conspiracy concocted by former Sheriff Jim Thomas to make
Anderson look bad.

In the battle to win the hearts and minds of the 2nd
Supervisorial District, Dan Secord raised $447,732, while his rival
Janet Wolf collected $423,827. Secord loaned himself $63,000; after
that, his biggest recent donor was former county Planning
Commissioner Parker Montgomery, who gave $10,000. The Hope Ranch
PAC was good for $7,500, while the Lincoln Club – a Republican
PAC – gave $4,500. Wolf received $21,377 from the Friends of Lois
Capps, who gave about that much in the primary as well; $20,000
from Peter Sperling, a wealthy philanthropist and scion of the
University of Phoenix founder; $7,500 from the Hope Ranch PAC; and
$5,000 from the county firefighters’ union.

If the fight over Measure D were to be decided by which side
raised more money, supporters of the countywide congestion relief
measure would secure roughly 160 times as many votes as the
opponents. But dollars don’t translate directly into ballots, and
few Measure D supporters are willing to predict the measure will
garner the two-thirds super-majority needed for any tax increase to
pass. The Yes on Measure D group reported raising $250,000 by
October 25, far less than the $750,000 proponents had hoped to
generate. The vast majority of funds came from large road
construction companies, engineering firms, and bond underwriters
who stand to benefit directly if the measure passes. The biggest
single donor to date is the Automobile Club of Southern California,
which gave $15,000 in cash. Measure D opponents reported raising
$1,575.

A week after his opponent Phil Angelides made a pit stop in
Santa Barbara on the campaign trail, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
made a surprise visit to the South Coast last Wednesday. The
Republican incumbent was joined by 3rd District Supervisor Brooks
Firestone at a press conference along Highway 101 in Summerland.
The governator used the backdrop as a prop to tout the $19.9
billion transportation bond aspect of his proposed Strategic Growth
Plan.

Republican Representative Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House
Armed Services Committee, announced he is running for president in
2008. Hunter, who has represented the 52nd Congressional District
in San Diego for 26 years, has garnered local attention for his
proposal to turn Santa Rosa Island into a hunting reserve for
disabled veterans. Duncan’s announcement came as a surprise;
political strategists do not consider him a front-runner.

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