by Kevin Crowe and Ryann Grochowski | inewsource
Fundraising levels in this San Diego mayoral race have far surpassed those in the 2008 election. So far, the four major candidates for mayor have raised a total $2.4 million in cash – roughly five times the amount raised by this point in the last mayoral election.
Carl DeMaio and Nathan Fletcher lead the pack with $970,000 and $744,000, respectively.
At this point in the 2008 mayoral election, only two candidates – Steve Francis and Jerry Sanders – had reported raising any campaign money.
Three candidates in city elections have filled their coffers with more than $500,000 of their own money. DeMaio donated $405,000 to his own campaign. Raymond Ellis, who’s running for city council in the 1st District, has given his campaign $50,000, and Mark Kersey helped himself with $45,500 in his race for the 5th District council seat.
Brian Bilbray is out ahead of his competition in the primary for the 52nd Congressional District. The congressman collected $674,000 last year, compared to his opponents, John Stahl and Wayne Iverson, who’ve raised about $15,000 each. Stahl, who is running to the right of Bilbray, loaned his campaign $300,000.
