The Republican candidates for Assembly 77 were required to report their campaign fundraising last night. I’d guess none of them was in a giant hurry to do so, given the lackluster numbers. Coming in on top was conservative Brian Jones with 21k. Next was Councilman Bill Wells with 13k. Moderate Christine Rubin didn’t even have to electronically file, which means her campaign is hardly flush with cash. This race is wide open. Will someone with the capacity to raise some money please consider running. We don’t need another Jay LaSuer keeping the seat out there warm.
Comments 14
Are these people running for assembly or class president!!
These people have been running for a year and this is the best they can do? And don’t blame it on ‘the economy’ candidates — we all can look at the records at the secretary of states office on the internet now there are plenty of candidates who have raised vast sums.
I think this is going to be a good year for Republicans – IF our candidates can raise money and not be a drag!!
Donna
I don’t know if I’d call Rubin a ‘moderate’ if you go to her website she seems to have a pretty conservative bent.
Wasn’t she somehow affiliated with McCain?
What’s with the poke at Jay? He’s a good man and is running a good race for Sheriff.
I got news for you, until there is fundamental change in government, all Republicans in the state senate and assembly are just keeping it warm.
Here is my suggestion: http://thepaperskiff.blogspot.com/2009/06/true-bicameral-system-for-california.html
Agree on that, what gives? It seems Criticus wants to write about the current candidates in the 77th, while taking side shots in another race.
Maybe Criticus hasn’t seen or heard of the Tea Party movement and the pressure on Republicans to return to traditional party values , a.k.a. conservative values. Jay LaSuer served as a good conservative in the State Legislature and too bad we didn’t have more of them!
Apparently Criticus has some learning to do… None of the candidates raised the $50k necessary to force e-filing. Not to mention the fact that Brian Jones did not e-file or at least it is not on the SOS website. I am also confused how Jones could be the one “coming in on top” when he raised the least of the three candidates mentioned. Let’s look at the websites and see where each candidate stands and then decide who the conservative is. How can anyone that is pro-life, against gay marriage, against raising taxes, and pro gun, be anything but a conservative??? Jones hasn’t really even changed his website from his congressional run last cycle against Duncan D Hunter and in looking at Wells page it seems to be the same page he used for his last City Council race. Perhaps Criticus is campaigning for Brian Jones or at least trying to help his campaign seem viable and since Jay LaSuer supported Duncan D Hunter, that would explain the crack against Jay as well.
In reading Donna’s post it seems odd that while the reporting period covered the entire year there is no mention of when the candidates actually pulled papers and as of right now there are only 2 (since Mr. Kover dropped out) that have pulled their Signature-in-lieu of filing fee papers, Jones and Wells have not yet pulled them. Looking at the SOS website to see how fundraising is going across the state is good BUT how many of those races have incumbents that have not yet filed papers for another seat? Raising “vast sums” of money against an incumbent from your own party is not something that the donors are likely to get behind. Once Joel Anderson files for Senate things will change rapidly and the money should begin to flow.
Amen Grandmother!!!
See my post on the race above or go to link:
http://sdrostra.com/?p=2887
Both Wells and Jones e-filed with Sec’y of State (Jones is also on the website). As noted by the last commenter, $50,000 and over requires e-filing, but candidates have the option of doing so prior to reaching that threshold. Wells and Jones opted to at this point.
More important than money raised at this time is Cash-on-Hand. If one raises a lot, but is spending it on things that won’t translate to direct voter contact down the stretch, then the amount raised is not nearly important as the available warchest.
Jones raised the least by a few thousand, but spent the least, so has the most COH. IMHO, however, it is irrelevant, because of the little amount raised and on-hand for any of them.
The money raised for all of the candidates was July 1 – Dec 31.
The paperwork to file In-Lieu a of Filing Fee is optional. Whether one has pulled that paperwork has nothing to do with whether they are running. The optional in-lieu effort starts early to allow time to collect signatures. Deadline for filing final paperwork is by law 88 days in advance of the election.
* Jay LaSuer MAY have been conservative from some angles, but note that he was labor union friendly, AND that he was one of the people in the caucus who would argue against Republicans naming what cuts we needed to make to shrink the govt.
* Jay LaSuer was a minority within the minority NOT because he was conservative, but because he was a grumpy sob. Further, I’m not sure of a single time Jay kicked in to the leadership fund (maybe once) to try to help US regain the majority.
I’ll admit the numbers aren’t stellar, but as the only first-time candidate and non-office holder, I created my campaign from the ground up less than six months ago (including original website and campaign literature), attended over 120 events, and still out-raised everyone else in the race. I’m just getting started.
I worked with Chris Rubin during the “Rescue California”
campaign of 2003 which got most of the signatures for
the Gray Davis recall elecion.
We heard the same negative talk then – you can’t
possibly win – it’s hopeless – give it up etc.
Anyone who underestimates Chris Rubin will only
have themselves to blame later !
Regarding JAY LA SUER, was he a conservative state
Assemblyman, etc. Since neither of his critics bothered
to offer any specifics, I’ll do that job for them now.
Here is what the folks who pay close attention to State
legislators said in 2005 and 2006 (Jay’s final term in
the Assembly)
(A) California Republican Assembly: 100% CORRECT
voting record for La Suer in 2005.
(B) Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn: 100% CORRECT
voting record for Jay La Suer in 2006.
(C) The Gun Owners of California: 100% CORRECT
voting record for Jay La Suer in 2005.
Here are the Links for those vote scores:
http://www.hjta.org/legislative/report-cards/&filter0=2006
http://www.gunownersca.com/Scorecard/AssScrCrd05.pdf
http://www.californiarepublicanassembly.com
La Suer was an active legislative leader, not a seat
warmer. Ditto when he worked his way up from a
motorcycle cop to the #2 man in the Sheriff’s Dept.
Ditto when he was jumping out of airplanes in the
famous 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” division.
You could say a lot of things about a guy who did
those things , but “seat warmer” is NOT one of them!
p.s. BIG UPS to Grandmother 🙂
Thanks, Christine, for weighing in. Please take all of this as “inspiration.”
I worked for Jay La Suer for most of his legislative career and I don’t remember anyone ever complaining about him being too liberal! Sounds like personality issues and sour grapes.
I take this race very seriously and I’m glad you all do too. You can bet I’m going to raise more money and you can be a factor in this race yourselves, by going to VoteBillWells.com and maxing out.