Big bucks emerge in 4 th district race

The race to succeed U.S. Rep. John Doolittle is evolving into an early-campaign funding frenzy. Republican opponents Rico Oller and Doug Ose are already slapping hundreds of thousands of dollars on the election table, eclipsing the steady fund-raising of another candidate, Eric Egland - who has been in the race since late July.On the Democratic Party side, likely opponent Charlie Brown is on course to glide through the June 3 primary unchallenged with his own sizeable campaign war chest intact, while the GOP standard bearer reloads for the November election showdown for Congress.Doolittle's announcement in January that he would not run for a 10th, two-year term not only sparked Oller to vie for the open seat, it also signaled the start of a campaign to secure both political and financial support from Republicans.Campaign spokesman Jerry Smith said that since Oller announced his candidacy Jan. 10, he's raised nearly $200,000. Oller, a wealthy San Andreas business owner and former state legislator, is also pledging another $50,000 of his own money "at this point," Smith said."He'll do what he has to do," Smith said, noting that the large amount of money raised by Oller in so short a time indicates "the conservative backing he has in this district."Oller's campaign clout was bolstered Monday when the fiscally conservative Washington, D.C.-based Club for Growth - known for pouring dollars into close congressional elections - announced its backing.Ose launched his candidacy last Friday and has channeled $450,000 into his campaign from congressional campaign funds held over from his time in Congress. The Sacramento real estate and land-development business owner retired from Congress in 2004 after serving three terms as the Third District's representative.Ose campaign spokesman Doug Elmets said that Ose already has a strong base of support from area Republicans - as witnessed by the dozens of elected officials who turned out for his campaign kickoff on the steps of the Placer County Courthouse. That support is also in the form of pledges of financial assistance as the election continues, he said, declining to go into details about a total amount so far.Like Oller, Ose is in a position to put in a sizeable contribution from his own pocket. While a congressman, he was ranked by Washington, D.C. newspaper Roll Call as the 11th wealthiest member of Congress. His personal net worth was estimated at $50 million - tied with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and $15 million ahead of Sen. Edward Kennedy.Ose is starting his campaign with a bang this coming Monday. Elmets said radio spots and television ads will start to be aired and a letter from the candidate will be going out to every registered Republican in the district.The insertion of two heavily financed, veteran campaigners into the race hasn't deterred Roseville military security consultant Eric Egland. At the end of the year, he had raised $141,000, including $62,000 during the final quarter. He also reported $79,000 cash on hand.Egland said that he had picked up another $10,000 since the Doolittle retirement announcement."Donations have picked up since the retirement announcement and I remain focused on fund raising," he said.Auburn City Councilman Mike Holmes also announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination last summer but backed out after the Oller announcement and now supports Ose. During the final quarter of the year, he had raised $7,500 and had $22,941 in cash at year's end.Brown, a retired Air Force officer who came close to beating Doolittle in 2006, reported $483,000 in cash on hand after raising nearly $200,000 during the fourth quarter.The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com, or post a comment at auburnjournal.com.Counting dollarsWith four months to go before the June 3 primary, District Four congressional candidates are already building up sizeable campaign war chests. Here are some of the latest numbers:n Doug Ose $450,000 transferred from 1998 election accountn Rico Oller $200,000 raised plus $50,000 from the candidaten Eric Egland $150,000 raised and an estimated $90,000 still availablen Charlie Brown $483,000 in cash on hand at the start of the year