Curry leads in campaign funds

Documents released this week show that Newport Beach District 7 City Councilman Keith Curry has raised more than $60,000 this year to finance his reelection campaign and that political newcomer Gloria Alkire has poured $25,000 of her own money into her District 2 council seat bid.

With about 250 separate donations, Curry has managed to amass a war chest more than twice the size of what his challenger for the District 7 seat, community activist Dolores Otting, has raised.

Curry’s backers include suspense novelist and Newport Beach resident Dean Koontz and his, wife Gerda, who each gave the councilman $500, campaign finance documents show. Johnson Fain, one of five architectural firms in the running to build the next Newport Beach City Hall, also donated $500 to Curry. Richard Afable, chief executive of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, donated $249, campaign records show.

Curry said he felt he needed to raise a large sum of money for his campaign because he is concerned that Otting is attracting the support of political action committees, who will spend money on her campaign in the form of independent expenditures.

A political action committee called Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods sent out a mailer to Newport Beach residents earlier this week in support of Otting.

“I have to raise a lot more money to tell the truth and get the message out,” Curry said.

Otting has raised $25,922, according to campaign disclosure statements.

Otting’s supporters include leader of the rehabilitation home group Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach, Denys Oberman, who gave Otting $300. Former chairman of the paint manufacturer Behr Process Corp., Jack Croul, who also was a major donor in the Measure B campaign earlier this year, gave Otting $500, campaign records show.

Otting also garnered several donations from other Crouls, including Kingsley Croul, Spencer Croul and Leah Croul Fletcher, who all donated $500 each. Sanitation company Rainbow Disposal Co., also donated $500 to Otting’s campaign.

“I feel like I’m on target, but you can always do more. I know how to run a grass-roots campaign,” Otting said.

Otting said she is not intimidated by Curry’s fundraising prowess.

“He’s the incumbent, and they always raise more money,” she said. “I get a lot of the closet voters who give $99 because they don’t want to appear on the donor’s list.”

Alkire, a retired school superintendent, has put $25,000 of her own money into her campaign against District 2 incumbent Steve Rosansky, campaign finance records show.

“I know it’s hard to get money from people, especially in this economy and I don’t like to ask people for money,” Alkire said. “I don’t think these campaigns should cost this type of money.”

New to city politics, Alkire said she has found the cost of direct mail and yard signs daunting. Two mailers have set her back about $17,000, she said.

All together, Alkire has amassed $27,309 for her campaign.

Aside from her own money, funding trickled in from a handful of individual contributors, campaign finance records show.

Incumbent District 2 Councilman Steve Rosansky managed to raise $28,098 so far this year, according to campaign finance records.

Donors to Rosansky’s campaign include sanitation company Ware Disposal Company Inc., and the Newport Beach Lifeguard Management Assn., which both gave Rosansky $500. Lead Measure B proponent and America’s Cup champion Bill Ficker donated $500, as well as Croul. Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata gave Rosansky $250.

A political action committee calling itself Newporters for Ethical Government recently sent out a mailer to Newport residents that accused Rosansky of helping drug rehabilitation homes in the city. The group has filed no financial disclosure statements in Newport Beach or with the state. Rosansky said he feels he needs to raise money to defend himself against the negative mailers.

“It’s expensive to run a campaign in this town, and apparently there are other people in this town that send out untruthful mail that I have to counter with the facts,” Rosansky said.

BY THE NUMBERS

2008 campaign contributions up to Sept. 30:

Gloria Alkire: $27,309

Keith Curry: $60,816

Dolores Otting: $25,922

Steve Rosansky: $28,098

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].