ELECTIONS / 35th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT : Firestone’s Spending Tops Lorenz’s by a Big Margin

Republican Brooks Firestone spent more than $260,000 in the past month on his campaign for the state Assembly, nearly matching the amount his Democratic opponent Mindy Lorenz has spent in the entire campaign, according to new finance reports.

The two candidates are competing in a hotly contested race for an open seat in the 35th Assembly District, which includes Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and most of Santa Barbara County.

“We’ve shot everything into this,” Firestone said of his expenditures for the past month, adding that the money went to pay for a slew of campaign mailers as well as television and radio ads. Firestone has spent $566,800 on the campaign.

In contrast, Lorenz has raised a total of $307,000, and spent $265,400, according to her most recent finance statement. The deadline for candidates to file their most recent campaign finance reports was Oct. 22.

Lorenz said she was pleased with the amount of money she had been able to raise, pointing out that Firestone, the grandson of the founder of Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., and his family had contributed $150,000 to his campaign.

“My goal has never been to out-raise Brooks Firestone, my goal has been to raise enough money to win the race,” said Lorenz, an art history professor.

Both candidates have received hefty contributions from their respective political parties, with the bulk of the money flowing into their campaign war chests during October. Firestone has received a total of $53,000 in cash contributions from the GOP, and Lorenz received $51,300 from the Democratic Party.

In October, Firestone also received $30,000 from the Tort Reform Advisory Committee, $5,000 from the Assn. of California Insurance Companies, and $2,000 from Southern California Edison.

Lorenz’s contributions during the same period included $5,000 from musician Don Henley, $2,000 from Laborers for Equality and Progress, and $1,000 from the Faculty Assn. of Community Colleges.

The two candidates have papered the district with slick campaign mailers that have blasted each other’s personal and political histories.

In recent weeks, Firestone has distributed hard-hitting mailers to voters calling attention to Lorenz’s history of switching political parties. One flyer featured a photo of a color-changing lizard on the cover meant to represent Lorenz, another accused her of supporting the legalization of cocaine and heroin.

“Everything I’ve said has been factual,” Firestone said. “I’m saying that as a political activist, these have been her views. And I think that’s relevant.”

Lorenz said Firestone has distorted her political history, and that his accusation that she favors legalizing drugs is absurd.

“Brooks Firestone has set a new low for state races in this area,” she said. “And I think it’s going to have a backlash effect.”

Lorenz’s flyers and television ads, on the other hand, have accused Firestone of trying to buy the race with his family’s money.

Firestone dismissed Lorenz’s accusations as “nonsense.”

In the state’s 18th Senate District, Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) reported raising a total of $1.1 million, while spending $973,300 on his campaign. In contrast, his Republican opponent, Steve MacElvaine, a former San Luis Obispo County supervisor, raised $458,000 and spent $357,800.

The district includes the same areas as the 35th Assembly District, but also stretches into San Luis Obispo County.