By Haddon Libby
On June 3rd, about 14% of Californians will be going to the polls to vote in the primaries. While the election is called a primary, if a candidate for a seat gets more than 50% of the vote, there will be no run-off in November. If no one reaches 50%, the top two vote getters with indifference to party affiliation will be on the November ballot.
While most candidates stand for and against many important things, you can potentially learn quite a bit by knowing who their largest financial backers are. Would a union support a union crusher? Would the status quo support a reformer? Ideally, everyone simply supports the person that they feel is the best candidate for the job. Nevertheless, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Show me who a man’s friends are and I will tell you who he is.”
By looking at the largest financial contributors and backers for each candidate in the upcoming State Senate, State Assembly and District Attorney races we might learn more about the candidates than we learn from campaign slogans and bulk mailers.
For the State Senate seat, the top three candidates are Bonnie Garcia, Glenn Miller, Jeff Stone.
Bonnie Garcia has raised most of her money from corporations, Indian tribes and unions. Elected officials have supported Garcia more than either of the other two other candidates with local notables including Brian Nestande and John Benoit. Garcia is far and away the choice of people currently serving in the State Senate.
Glenn Miller’s largest contributor is Alex Haagen, the owner of the Polo Gardens where the Coachella Music Festival is held and where Miller serves as councilman. Other significant financial support comes from the Houston family and a few unions. Electeds who have given money include Doug Hanson of Indian Wells and Dana Hobart of Rancho Mirage. Miller has significant support amongst members of city councils across the Coachella Valley with the only exception being Indian Wells, a place where he once worked.
Jeff Stone who hails from the Temecula area has few large donors like the other candidates. His support comes primarily from Temecula Valley wineries, small businesses and individuals that reside principally outside of the Coachella Valley. Like Miller, when it comes to endorsements, Stone boasts strong support in the Temecula Valley.
In the race to replace State Assemblyman Brian Nestande who is not running due to term limits, the top candidates are two Republicans – Chad Mayes and Gary Jeandron.
Chad Mayes is financially supported by some of the Indian Tribes, police and firefighter unions and Burrtec Waste Management. Mayes is endorsed by the entire Riverside Board of Supervisors as well as many on the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors.
Gary Jeandron finds his greatest financial support from The Chandi Group, owners of many ARCO stations in the Coachella Valley, the Agua Caliente Tribe as well as teacher and police unions. Endorsements include former congresswoman Mary Bono Mack and numerous elected city council people across the Coachella Valley. Worth noting, one significant contributor is Los Angeles-based land developer, Global Investment and Development which is owned by Aaron and Joseph Rivani. In 1992, the Los Angeles Times questioned a potentially improper land deal by the City of Lancaster and Joseph Rivani, someone who has been on the state’s list of top tax deadbeats. In 2005, the Cibola County Tax Assessor in New Mexico was investigated on bribery accusations related to her dealings with Joseph Rivani. While Rivani has been dogged by questions over the years, no charges appear to have ever been filed. Nevertheless, Jeandron is his choice.
Finally, in the contentious race for District Attorney between incumbent District Attorney Paul Zellerbach and Deputy District Attorney Mike Hestrin, those in charge such as the Riverside Board of Supervisors and many police chiefs support Zellerbach. The rank and file sheriff’s deputies and deputy district attorneys support Hestrin heavily with money and volunteers.
