Money race heats up in key Assembly campaigns

Reporting from Sacramento — Vulnerable Assembly Democrats are locked in tight fundraising races with their GOP challengers, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday.

Assemblyman Steve Fox, a Democrat from Palmdale, raised nearly $540,000 from July 1 to Sept. 30, and spent just under $530,000. Fox, a freshman legislator who won his 2012 race by just 145 votes, had nearly $160,000 at the end of the reporting period.

Republican challenger Tom Lackey, a Palmdale city councilmember, brought in almost $660,000 in that time. He spent $737,000 and had just under $170,000 cash on hand on Sept. 30.

In a contested Orange County race, incumbent Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva of Fullerton spent heavily in the last quarter, more than $950,000. She raised more than $560,000 in the same time period and entered the final campaign stretch with just under $130,000 in the bank.

Her opponent, Young Kim, a former aide to Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), brought in around $460,000. She spent $470,000 and had $545,000 on hand at the end of September.

Republicans are also aiming to unseat Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance). The freshman Democrat raised almost $440,000 last quarter and spent more than $700,000. He had more than $510,000 in his coffers as of Sept. 30.

David Hadley. a Manhattan Beach businessman, is the GOP contender. He brought in just over $300,000 and spent around $200,000. He ended the reporting period with more than $470,000 cash on hand.

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