Governor hopefuls top $1 million.

Byline: DAVID STEVES The Register-Guard

SALEM - Both major party candidates for governor on Monday reported raising more than $1 million - but with five weeks to go in the race, Democrat Ted Kulongoski has hundreds of thousands more in the bank to pay for a flurry of TV and radio spots.

Republican Kevin Mannix's report showed him with an ending cash balance of $276,884, and Kulongoski said he had $800,426 on hand as of Sept. 19. Between that date and June 11, Mannix reported raising $1.07 million and spending $854,821. But because of loans he and others had made to the campaign, as well as money owed to businesses hired for the campaign, the Republican nominee's report showed him with an on-paper deficit of $269,288.

In that same period, Kulongoski reported raising $1.29 million and spending $519,358.

A third candidate for governor, Libertarian Tom Cox, reported raising $30,149, spending $24,924, and finishing the reporting period with $5,225 on hand.

The election is Nov. 5, with ballots going out as early as Oct. 18.

Despite Mannix's less ample war chest and outstanding loans of $374,500, his campaign is not concerned about matching Kulongoski in getting on the air with ads to sway voters, campaign spokesman Mike Beard said.

"We're not concerned at all. We're still raising money, and we'll be raising a significant amount of money," Beard said. "Absolutely we will be competitive every step of the way."

Last spring, Mannix wasn't the only gubernatorial candidate in a similar fund-raising disadvantage. With a month to go until the May 21 primary, both he and Kulongoski were the only ones among the six major candidates seeking their parties' nominations who hadn't raised enough money to qualify for the million dollar club.

But in primary elections, where the two parties' hard-core voters are the ones who end up turning in ballots, getting out the vote proved more important than raising the most money for TV and radio ads, Oregon State University political scientist Bill Lunch said.

Mannix did just that with help from conservative Christian groups and Oregon Right to Life, which shares his opposition to abortion and assisted suicide. Kulongoski did the same through organized labor.

Lunch said in a general election - in which 460,000 minor party and nonaffiliated voters will join the 1.4 million major party members eligible to cast ballots - money is more important.

Mannix enjoyed strong support from traditional Republican supporters in the business and lumber sectors. He received $65,000 from Columbia Helicopters and its chairman, Wes Lamatta; $50,000 from Douglas County timber baron D.R. Johnson; $25,000 from Freres Lumber east of Salem; and $150,000 from Jeld-Wen founder Dick Wendt and his son, current Jeld-Wen president Rod Wendt. Jeld-Wen is a Klamath Falls-based company that manages resorts, manufactures door and window frames, and is involved in several other ventures.

Kay Toolson, president of Monaco Coach, which has operations in Lane County, gave Mannix $15,000, and Rainbow Ridge, a farm operation in Central Point, contributed $50,000.

Kulongoski, who trailed his two Democratic opponents in fund-raising throughout last spring's primary race, came into the fall campaign for cash with a strong showing.

As was the case in the primary, he was again aided generously by organized labor. His report shows contributions of about $240,000 from labor unions, including $100,000 from the statewide teachers union, the Oregon Education Association; and $25,000 apiece from the Oregon Public Employees Union, the Service Employees International Union, and the carpenters union.

But it was the bevy of big-money contributions from the business and professional sectors that Kulongoski and his aides trumpeted.

"We have support from everyone from the AFL-CIO to Nike, from lifelong Republicans to environmental activists," said campaign manager Sean Smith, who called the varied list of contributors "hard evidence that Oregonians are looking for a leader who will work to solve the state's problems."

Among the contributors who Kulongoski said represented crossover support that typically goes to Republicans were: Boise-Cascade Corp. ($10,000), Georgia-Pacific Corp. ($5,000), R.B. Pamplin Corp. ($10,000), Roseburg-based Lone Rock Timber Co. and its president, Howard Sohn ($5,000 apiece), Nike ($10,400) and the Oregon Auto Dealer Association ($5,000).

R.B. Pamplin Corp. also gave Mannix $10,000, and the auto dealers association gave Mannix $20,000.

Kulongoski also got a huge assist from the Democratic Governors' Association, which gave $225,000.

Lunch said it's not that Kulongoski's politics are so much more appealing to business and natural resource industries - traditional allies with the GOP - as it is the sense that once the votes are tallied, it will be Kulongoski who enters the governor's office.

"These people aren't dumb. They can tell which way the wind is blowing. ... They are essentially buying time on the calendar" of the candidate they think will win the governor's race, Lunch said.

"If they thought Mannix had a reasonable shot, it is pretty unlikely that Boise-Cascade or Bob Pamplin (head of R.B. Pamplin) would be giving $10,000 apiece to the Democrat's campaign."

HOW THEY COMPARE

Figures for fund-raising period between June 11 and Sept. 19

Republican Kevin Mannix:

Contributions: $1.07 million

Expenditures: $854,821

Cash on hand: $276,884

Balance/deficit: $-269,288

Democrat Ted Kulongoski:

Contributions: $1.29 million

Expenditures: $519,358

Cash on hand: $800,426

Balance/deficit: $805,515

Libertarian Tom Cox:

Contributions: $30,149

Expenditures: $24,924

Cash on hand: $5,225

Balance/deficit: $-317

- Oregon Elections Division

CAPTION(S):

2002 ELECTION HOW THEY COMPARE Figures for fund-raising period between June 11 and Sept. 19 Republican Kevin Mannix: Contributions: $1.07 million Expenditures: $854,821 Cash on hand: $276,884 Balance/deficit: $-269,288 Democrat Ted Kulongoski: Contributions: $1.29 million Expenditures: $519,358 Cash on hand: $800,426 Balance/deficit: $805,515 Libertarian Tom Cox: Contributions: $30,149 Expenditures: $24,924 Cash on hand: $5,225 Balance/deficit: $-317 - Oregon Elections Division