THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 1996 TAG: 9607160265
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 78 lines
Democrat Mark R. Warner has financed a six-week television advertising blitz for his U.S. Senate bid with $1.65 million from his own pocket, according to a disclosure report he filed Monday.
Warner's fortune accounted for 94 percent of the $1.75 million his campaign raised during a five-week period ending June 30, according to a statement filed with the Federal Election Commission in Washington.
Warner, 41, is a cellular phone magnate whose personal wealth has been estimated at more than $100 million. Since entering the Senate race last year, Warner has pumped a total of $2.3 million into his bid, accounting for 76 percent of the money he has raised.
Eric Hoffman, a Warner spokesman, would not say whether the Democrat has set a limit for personal spending on his campaign or whether he plans to continue his expensive, statewide television blitz through Election Day, Nov. 5.
The national record for personal contributions to a campaign is $30 million, set in 1994 by Republican Michael Huffington, who ran unsuccessfully in California.
``Mark is making an investment to get his campaign message out,'' Hoffman said Monday, ``and there's nothing wrong with that.''
Warner is a heavy underdog in a race against three-term incumbent Sen. John W. Warner, to whom he is not related. Mark Warner's extensive advertising campaign has been designed to make him better known to voters.
The financial reports showed the two Warners are raising their money in different ways.
Unlike his Democratic opponent, John Warner has not invested personal funds in his Senate bid, although he did guarantee a $200,000 bank loan to his campaign that has been half repaid.
And unlike his Republican opponent, Mark Warner is not accepting corporate donations from political action committees.
The reports show John Warner has raised slightly more than $1 million from PACs - including $141,000 during the five-week period ending June 30. Warner is the second-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and many of his PAC contributions come from defense-related industries. Statistics released by the Federal Election Commission this spring showed Warner ranked fourth among 225 Senate candidates across the country in accepting PAC donations.
All told, the PAC contributions account for 30 percent of the total $3.4 million John Warner has raised. Warner, who trounced former federal budget director James C. Miller in a Republican primary last month, reported having only $175,000 left in his treasury.
Mark Warner reported his campaign had a $115,000 cash balance.
Each campaign questioned the other's fund-raising tactics.
``It certainly isn't illegal to spend unlimited personal money in a campaign,'' said Eric Peterson, a spokesman for John Warner. ``But the report doesn't show much evidence of public support for our opponent. The bottom line is that Virginians won't appreciate someone trying to buy himself a seat in the Senate.''
Hoffman countered that Mark Warner has received personal donations from 3,000 people, most of them in small amounts that are not required to be detailed on reports.
Asked how much more personal money Mark Warner plans to put in his campaign, Hoffman replied: ``Tell me how much more PAC money Sen. Warner will take and I'll have a better idea.''
Also Monday, the two leading candidates for Virginia governor next year also released their campaign finance reports for the first half of the year.
Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer, according to a spokeswoman, raised $696,000, giving the Democrat a balance of $650,000. Attorney General James S. Gilmore III reported raising $660,000 and having a $203,000 balance. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo MARK R. WARNER
Has put a total of $2.3 million of his own money into his bid,
accounting for 76 percent of the money he's raised.
Color photo SEN. JOHN W. WARNER
Has raised slightly more than $1 million from PACs, accounting for
30 percent of the total $3.4 million he has raised.
KEYWORDS: PAC CAMPAIGN FINANCING U.S. SENATE RACE CAMPAIGN
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