Politics & Government

Lawson Raises Top Dollar in Most Recent Reporting Period

Fundraising of political newcomer puts pressure on frontrunner Jared Huffman.


Congressional candidate Stacey Lawson
raised the largest amount of  money in the most recent reporting period ending May 16, her campaign said.

"Stacey led all fundraising for the fourth reporting period in a row," said former Healdsburg Mayor Jason Liles, a Lawson supporter. "(Candidate Jared) Huffman only has more total raised because he started raising money two quarters before Stacey got into the race."

Huffman, a state Assemblyman, in the June 5 primary elections for the North Coast 2nd District seat formerly held by U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey and parts of the former district of U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson.

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Since only the top candidates on June 5 will move on to the Nov. 4 general elections, against antiwar activist Norman Solomon of West Marin and possibly Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams.

According to Liles, the fundraising numbers were submitted to the Federal Elections Commission earlier this week, as shown here.

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According to a story in the Press Democrat, the numbers show that Lawson took in $169,200 in contributions plus $100,000 that she loaned to her own campaign.

Huffman, the newspaper said, had $136,846 for the same reporting period from April 1 to May 16.

The newspaper article quotes Lawson as saying that she needed to add to her campaign coffers because of negative ads running against her.

Solomon supporters have posted an anti-Lawson blog on Patch. They question her description of the UC Berkeley's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET), saying "her candidacy underscores the problematic influence of corporate cash on the political process."

Lawson responded by posting on her Facebook campaign account that the attacks are actually postive because they are an indication that she is a threat.

"I'm told it's a good sign that I'm being attacked by my opponents - it shows that I'm one of the frontrunners," Lawson said in the post. "But I honestly wish we could have a debate on the issues that voters care about -- putting Californians and all Americans back to work."

Lawson added, "Let's have a debate about better policies, not politics-as-usual attacks."

To read the Press Democrat article, click here.


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