ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9606030043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: The Washington Post
CHALLENGER JIM MILLER lags behind the incumbent senator. According to the latest reports, Warner has collected $2.5 million to Miller's $1 million.
A few months ago, Florida sugar mogul Jose ``Pepe'' Fanjul, his wife, his son, his daughter, two brothers, two sisters-in-law, two of his company's executives and its political action committee, or PAC, had the same idea on the same day.
Out came the checkbooks, and just like that, Sen. John Warner's campaign treasury swelled by $18,500.
There's no mystery why the Fanjuls, a wealthy family of Cuban exiles in Florida, would care about the Republican senator from Virginia. Just last year, Warner joined the Agriculture Committee, which oversees the sugar price-support program under assault on Capitol Hill, a program worth at least $65 million a year to the Fanjuls' firm, Flo-Sun Sugar Co.
The Fanjuls aren't the only well-heeled special interest rushing to Warner's defense in his war with state Republican leaders who are backing his challenger, Jim Miller, in the June 11 Republican primary.
Campaign finance reports show that defense contractors, bankers, real estate developers, oil companies, airlines and others whose businesses often intertwine with congressional actions have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Warner's campaign account. Warner has collected $2.5 million so far, to Miller's $1 million, according to the latest reports, filed last week. The disparity is an indication that, for all of Warner's recent troubles with rank-and-file Republicans who won't forgive him for rejecting Oliver North's U.S. Senate campaign two years ago, partisan loyalty and ideological purity don't seem to matter much on Main Street or Wall Street.
``That's reality - PACs give to incumbents,'' said Ellen Miller, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign finance. ``That's the name of the game. They know them. They're a known commodity. Challengers scare them.''
Warner's financial strength has proved to be an important asset, making him a far tougher target than expected. Just last year, foes thought they could suppress his fund raising, perhaps enough to persuade the 69-year-old Warner to retire.
Warner's huge fund-raising edge has fueled a formidable advertising campaign. Miller, by comparison, began airing his first radio ad only last week, and even if he does go on television, he doesn't have enough cash for more than a token buy.
Last week's reports did contain some hope for Miller, showing that his fund raising is picking up pace as the primary nears. But the $321,319 that Miller brought in from April 1 to May 22 still fell short of Warner's $418,176, and Miller had only $180,156 on hand, compared with the senator's $340,319.
Finance reports indicate that about 31 percent of the senator's contributions have come from PACs, compared with 1 percent for Miller.
Warner, who in his third term has 18 years of seniority and is next in line to take over the Armed Services Committee, is a magnet for major industrial donors. Among the company PACs that have chipped in are those of McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Electronic Data Systems, Walt Disney, United Airlines, AT&T, Texaco and Crestar Financial.
One of his best friends has been Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, the state's largest private employer While federal law limits individual contributions to $2,000, executives at Newport News and its parent company, Tenneco Inc., had bundled roughly 20 gifts worth at least $23,500 as of March 31.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB