Her $3.5 million in cash also includes: $4,200 from actor Danny DeVito; $2,300 from David Geffen, an executive at DreamWorks Studios; $500 from comedian Richard Lewis; $2,000 from Rob Minkoff, “The Lion King” co-director; $4,600 from actress Elizabeth Taylor; $4,600 from Paul Witt, a producer of the movie “Dead Poets Society” and executive producer of the TV show “Golden Girls”; $1,000 from Jerry Zucker, a writer of the “Naked Gun” movies; and $1,000 from Dan Glickman, head of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Boxer plans to continue to make the pitch to Hollywood and throughout the state that she needs funds to compete against rich GOP opponents.
“All of the candidates being mentioned as potential opponents are extremely wealthy individuals who could spend $30 million, $40 million or $50 million on a campaign without breaking a sweat,” said Rose Kapolczynski, Boxer’s California-based political consultant.
Unlike this year, with Democrats defending just 12 seats to the Republicans’ 23, the next cycle will have 20 Republican incumbents up versus 14 Democrats. Those include the seats of Sens. McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the two presidential candidates.
Like Boxer, members facing reelection in 2010 are raising more money than ever before, citing the increasing costs of campaigning and uncertain political environment. For instance, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has racked up $3.9 million so far, according to reports filed through June, compared with $1.5 million in the two-year period before his last election in 2004.
“People believe in following the Boy Scout model: Be prepared,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
But if Obama wins the White House, Democrats fear that history could repeat itself, since the party in power typically loses seats in the first midterm of a new administration.
“Whichever side occupies the White House will make it more dangerous for their incumbents in Senate races in 2010,” said Kevin Spillane, a GOP consultant in California.
Spillane says that Boxer has benefited in her previous election cycles from facing under-funded GOP opponents, but that could change with the addition of Schwarzenegger, whose fundraising prowess and universal name recognition would be daunting for the Democrats in two years. Schwarzenegger, who is term-limited out of office after 2010, has raised $127 million since the recall election of 2003 put him in the governor’s mansion, according to press reports.
But Spillane and other GOP operatives are doubtful that Schwarzenegger would want to be one of 100 senators after running the world’s fifth-largest economy.
Aaron McLear, spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said the governor is focused on finishing his term and “hasn’t decided at all” what he will do after 2010.
A McCain campaign spokesman did not respond to inquiries seeking comments on Fiorina and Whitman, and a spokesman for Poizner said his boss is focusing on finishing his job as insurance commissioner. People close to Poizner said he is considering a run for the governorship in 2010.
According to a recent California Field Poll, Boxer has a 48 percent job approval rating, up three points from December and down six points from March 2007. And she is bracing for a tough 2010.
“Every one of my races is hard,” said Boxer, who won in 2004 with 58 percent of the vote.
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